Snowbird: Engine Troubles
by Dargonlover1234
Summary: Winter Schnee is looking for a fresh start in a new city, but trouble finds her before she even gets there. Not in the form of her broken-down car, but the charming Qrow and his two small nieces standing at his side. Will they be trouble or a helping hand? Or maybe they are the ones who need help?
1. Chapter 1

"Come on, come on you stupid piece of shit! Work!" Winter screamed at the top of her lungs at the useless piece of plastic and metal in her hands. But the phone still didn't have any connection and wouldn't call one of the two numbers she had saved on her phone. "Shit" she sighed, as she tossed the phone into the back seat of her car.

"Out of all the days this piece of junk could have broken down, it had to be the one day I'm in the middle of nowhere!" Winter screamed in frustration as she slammed her fists onto the steering wheel. Then she did it again. Then, Winter snapped.

"Son of a freaking jerk pop sandwich with a pile of goddamn fucking shit!" was all Winter could say as she kicked the floor, punched the ceiling, pulled on the steering wheel and tried her best to destroy everything in sight. Luckily, nothing broke and she only managed to hurt her hands from punching the ceiling.

Winter leaned her head against the steering wheel of her old, worn down Beatle, taking deep breaths and waiting for her heart rate to go down. "You've trained for this, Winter. It's your job to help people when they blow up, not to blow up yourself" Winter whispered to herself for encouragement. Unbuckling herself, Winter opened the door and stepped outside.

It was a beautiful day outside. The sun was bright and warm, the air was clean and smelled like summer, and there were enough clouds in the sky to keep it from being blisteringly hot. "At least it isn't snowing. If this was in Atlas I'd probably freeze before help came" Sighed Winter as she looked around.

There was a lot of what was a sea of corn, or something like that, in every direction. Winters bug was pulled on the side of the road, right on the beach of grass between the corn and the old abandoned highway. Winter sat down on the pavement and leaned against the side of her car. Winter looked down and smiled, setting her hand on the rough and warm pebbles that were always getting thrown around the road. "Way better than Atlas"

Winter's smile suddenly turned into a look of stern determination as she flipping her phone open, one last time, to try and call someone for help. But the same horrible sight greeted her, just like the last thirty times she tried to use her phone: No Bars. Winter wanted to scream for a second. She was shaking with anger and wanted to throw her phone into the corn and let it sink to the bottom of it like a stone in water. Winter lifted her phone over her shoulder, but her arm fell just as quickly. Winter stared at her outdated flip phone and didn't feel anger, pride, sadness, or anything. She just felt empty. Then, she felt everything. Overwhelmed, scared, worried, hated, and just plain sad. That's when the tears came. Winter put her phone on the ground and set her head between her knees and just started to bawl like a baby.

Pictures of her father flashed in her mind, "So you take the proper education I wanted for you and turn it into something useless that you can never use? I never thought there would be a stupid Schnee, but look at what we have here! My moron of a daughter who's only good at stealing my money and lying!" Winter brought her hand up to her face, the sting of his slap and the ringing she had in her ears still fresh in her mind.

But whatever pain Winter vanished in an instant as a hammer of guilt slammed into Winter's chest as a picture of Weiss came into her mind. Weiss was like Winters clone, the only real difference between them was their heights, with Winter towering over Weiss (Something she hoped would always be the case). Weiss was a shining rainbow of joy and creativity, she loved playing the piano, singing, dancing and everything in between! But Winter felt the hot burn of a knife in her chest as she thought of how much pressure the little thirteen-year-old girl was under. Winter had been teaching Weiss how to play piano for a few months, the girl loved it and was picking up little tricks and tips after every session, growing her skill quickly. When Weiss practiced, she would make up lyrics and try her best to sound good.

One day when Winter wasn't home, their father had stumbled into the music room while Weiss was playing. He sat and watched her play and sing, drinking up the sight of his perfect daughter playing near-flawlessly. But that wasn't good enough. After that, Weiss had been forced to take almost daily music lessons and to practice for hours.

It had been going like that for a few months by the time Winter left, and she could already see the bright spark behind her sisters' eyes start to dim. The idea that Weiss would end up hating something that she used to love hurt more than any one of her fathers' many strikes ever could have.

Winter hit her hand on the street, again and again, until the small stones were scraping and drawing blood. She screamed, cried, and bled on the street. Every second getting torn apart by confusion, anger, guilt, and a sense of fear so strong it made her want to sink to the center of the earth. She was in the middle of nowhere with nobody around for miles, but Winter still wanted to just disappear even more.

Winter bit her bottom lip and lifted her head and rested it on her car, eyes still closed. Winter took a few deep breaths and just let the tears fall while she bathed in the bright sun. "How can I be so upset, but still feel this comfortable? Winter wondered aloud to nobody before closing her eyes again.

The sunlight warmed Winter's skin in such a calming way. The wind blew in the sweet scent of summer, something Winter had only smelled a few times before. But the scent still brought a lot of memories of her mother and playing with her family back in the good days. Soon, Winter let the comfort of the past take hold of her and drag her down.

Sleep was something Winter had always excelled at. When she was in high school she could fall asleep anywhere at any time, no questions asked. Her skills had only improved at college, so she could be in the middle of class and fall asleep mid-lecture for a few minutes and wake herself up when the professors got to the good part. But sleep was rare for her these days. Usually, she just tossed and turned around her bed all night, followed by coating herself in enough makeup to make the bags under her eyes disappear the next morning.

"Mom, why does Dad yell so much? Weiss asked from their mothers' lap, looking up at their mothers' beautiful blue eyes. Winter was laying on her back with her legs up against their moms' legs. Their mom always thought it was cute when she did that, even though she was getting a bit too big to be doing it these days.

"Because he's stressed from work" Mother responded with her classic smile. Their mom looked like Weiss and Winter, but more beautiful than either of them could ever hope to be. Her hair was long and luxurious, her skin was soft and angelic, and her voice was like pure silk. Overall, she was everything Winter wanted to be when she grew up.

"But why does he have to scream so much?" Winter's baby sister asked again. Winter wanted to nudge her with her ankle so she would stop talking, but Mother wouldn't like that. She was also too far away to reach, but that's beside the point.

"Well, he screams so he doesn't have to hold his emotions in. So he screams when he's stressed, but gushed over you two when he's happy" Their mother tickled Weiss with a beautiful smile on her face.

"Stop it, momma!" Weiss laughed between breaths, trying her hardest to pull their mothers' hands away from her. Winter laughed as Weiss tickled Winters bare feet, and as much as she tried Winter couldn't getaway.

"Weiss, you dork! Not me, mom!" but her baby sister ignored her and kept attacking her feet, one of the few chinks in her tickle resistant armor.

"You're a dork! That's why I'm tickling you! Mwuhahahah!" Their mother stopped her attack, letting Weiss laugh like some kind of deranged and stupidly adorable supervillain. Which she was!

"Hey, Winter" Their mother had finally put a stop to Weiss's on slot and was looking down at her with a tranquil smile that was fit for the angel she was.

"Yeah, Momma?" Winter asked as she looked up from the floor with a big grin on her face. Then her mother bent down and brought her hand close to Winter's face, moving it left and right, Winter's eyes following it the whole time.

"Boop," Her mother said as she touched the tip of her nose with her finger. Then, Winter snapped awake.


	2. Chapter 2

"Boop. Boopy boop boop!" Was the first thing Winter heard as she woke up. Her nose was getting softly poked over and over again while the person in front of her kept repeating the same weird word over and over. The voice was soft and high pitched, probably some girl.

"Ruby, stop that" Winter heard next. It sounded a little rough and was coming from a man.

"What? It's what Nora does when I fall asleep in class" The girl, Ruby, explained as the booping finally stopped.

"That's a conversation for another time, Ruby. Yang, stop looking in her car, that's rude" The man said pretty lazily like he didn't care what was going on.

"She's got a lot of stuff in here, think she's homeless?" A third person asked, another girl.

"If she is, it's none of our business. Now get over here already" The man asked. The girl grumbled something but obeyed. Everything was quiet after that for a second as the man seemed to think about what was going on.

"Hey, you gotta get up Mrs, someone broke into your car," The man said as he shook her shoulder gently.

"What!" Winter screeched as she shot up and turned around to check the damage of her beloved bug. But the only thing out of the ordinary was a girl with bright blonde hair down to her waist staring at her like she had grown a second head. Her bug was totally fine.

"Told you she was faking! Have fun on your date with the dishes later, Ruby!" The blond girl yelled excitedly as she pumped her fists in the air and jumped around like some kind of deranged kangaroo.

"Um, nobody broke into my car? Wait, are you robbing me?" Winter accused as she turned around to face the man, who was actually kind of cute. He was around six feet tall with messy black hair and just enough scruff on his face to make it clear he hadn't shaved in a couple of days. He was wearing a white tee-shirt that had some black stains on it along with a pair of black pants.

The man looked at her with a bored expression before looking to his right at another little girl. The girl was bouncing up and down on her feet with a big smile on her face. She had short black hair with dyed red tips. She seemed to like the color red, it was the color of her skirt, shirt, and even her shoes.

"Yup. Totally. Ruby, sick 'em" The man nodded to Winter as he looked at Ruby. Ruby lit up and jumped up, but then looked at Winter and got serious. Ruby had a sly grin on her face as she pulled a hood on top of her small head. While her eyes were covered, Ruby walked over to Winter and stopped right in front of her. Then, nothing…

"Put 'em up! This is a stickup! Money in the bag!" Ruby yelled as she pointed her two-finger pistols right at Winter.

"You don't have a bag, Ruby" Yang called out as she walked to Ruby's side.

"Oh, right. Sorry, drop the money on the ground!" Ruby yelled again. Yang shook her head with her eyes closed and her arms crossed.

"Ruby, you're doing it all wrong! You never apologize when you rob someone!" Yang explained as she started to poke Rubys stomach, forcing her to break character while she laughed.

"Yaaang, stop it! That tickles! Uncle Qrow!" Ruby pleaded as Yang went from poking to a full-scale tickle assault on the small robber.

"Sorry kid, she's right. Your technique still needs a lot of work. Guess we won't be robbing you today, sorry for wasting your time" Qrow told Winter as he flashed her a teasing smile. Winter smiled back at him and felt calmer than she had in days. She looked down at the two girls who were wrestling on the ground and couldn't help but picture her baby sister playing with them.

"I think I can let it slide today, Qrow, was it?" Winter asked the man. The name felt weird for her to say, she'd never heard such an odd name before. But she was named after a season, so who was she to judge?

"Oh yeah, guess we never introduced ourselves. Girls" Winter looked down and held in a laugh as the two girls ran up in front of her in a line and gave her a salute. The taller girl put her arm behind her back, and after a moment of confusion, the smaller girl copied her.

"Yang!" The blonde one said while she tried to keep herself from smiling.

"Ruby!" The smaller girl with the red highlights beamed with the cutest grin Winter had ever seen.

"Nice to meet you!" The two of them chirped almost at the same time. Ruby was a bit behind but didn't seem to upset.

"Um, good to meet you two" Winter laughed as she saluted them back.

The two of them looked pleased and started to laugh, but didn't drop their hands until Qrow walked between them and told them, "At ease, soldiers!" He had a soft smile on his face as he rubbed the hair of the girls. The two of them giggled before they ran off to who knows where. _There are some strange people_, Winter thought to herself with a smile as she watched the two girls randomly start wrestling on some grass on the side of the road.

"Though, is something up with your car or are you out here enjoying the corn?" Qrow walked right past her and popped open the hood of the car.

"I have no idea. It was fine, but then it just… wasn't" was all Winter could off him. WInters' knowledge of cars was pretty limited. The only part of a car she could name was the steering wheel.

"It just wasn't? Wasn't what? Did the battery die? How about gas?" Qrow looked at her with a raised eyebrow as he slowly rolled up his sleeves.

Winter felt a blush flood her face as she looked away and shrugged, "I think I have gas" Winter meekly gave. Qrow laughed as she started to tinker around in her engine.

"God, you sound like Ruby" Qrow laughed as he looked back up at Winter. Winter looked over at the two girls who were still wrestling. Well, kind of. Yang was on top of Ruby and was trying to give her a wet willy while Ruby struggled and laughed like as she tried to push Yang off of her. "Yang! Grab the tools!"

"What's the magic word!" Yang yelled as her finger got even closer to Rubys ear. Winter wasn't sure who she was talking too though.

"Please-a-kazam!" Ruby and Qrow said at the same time. _Guess they couldn't tell either_. Yang jumped off of Ruby and ran over to the truck at full speed, followed quickly by Ruby, a smile still plastered on her face.

"Those kids are-" Winter started

"Weird?" Qrow interrupted as he lifted his head out of the car.

"I was gonna say lively, but weird works too" Winter laughed. "Are they yours?" Winter asked before she could think better of it. Winter instantly regretted it as Qrow tensed up ever so slightly, but Winter could see it clear as day. But Qrow quickly took in a deep breath and relaxed before turning back to her with a smile.

"They're my pain in the ass, yes. But they are my nieces" Qrow smiled fondly as he looked over at the two girls bringing him his tools. Yang was carrying a big bag that was filled to the brim with random odds and ends all piled on top of one another. She plopped it down at Qrows feet and gave him a big smile with a thumbs up. Looking at it gave Winter a small headache with how unorganized it was.

Ruby walked up after Yang and held up a small wrench to her uncle with a big smile, "It's all Yang would let me carry" Ruby smiled as Qrow took the wrench and put it on the car. He kneeled to Rubys level and put a hand on her and Yangs' head.

"Thanks, Ruby, you got the most important tool. Thanks, Yang, you are one small squirt. Now, either of you two wants to help me with this?" Winter raised an eyebrow, not sure what she just heard.

"Ooh! Me! Please let me help uncle Qrow!" Ruby raised her hand and started t jump up and down while Yang and Qrow just smiled at her.

"Yeah, I thought as much" Qrow laughed as he ruffled their hair and stood up. "You don't have an issue with Ruby helping out Winter, do you?" Qrow asked with a smirk. Winter looked down at the excited Ruby who was giving her the biggest set of puppy dog eyes she had ever seen. It was one of the cutest things she had ever seen.

"Of course not," Winter said with gritted teeth, hoping this girl wasn't gonna wreck her car even more.

"Yay! Ooh, you have a model T-6! That's a good pick!" Ruby squealed as she jumped up onto the side of her car and dove right into her work. Winter looked at Qrow who just smirked at her.

"Is it ok for her to be doing this? Isn't it dangerous or something?" Winter couldn't help but feel worried for the girl, it was her job after all. Or it was about to be anyway.

"Oh yeah, she's a real smart cookie- egg! A real smart egg!" Qrow quickly stopped himself and looked over a Ruby who was quietly humming to herself as she tightened something down. Leaning over to Winter, Qrow whispered into her ear, "This girl is obsessed with cookies. If she hears the word she goes bananas until she gets one. But yeah, she's seriously smart and good with electronics. I taught her all she knows about cars, and she took apart an engine last month" Qrow said with obvious pride.

"Did she put it back together?" Winter asked with shock in her voice. But Qrow sat there and didn't say anything. "Qrow?"

"She's working on it, ok? Schools kept her busy!" Qrow said defensively, and Winter couldn't help but laugh.

"What about you, Yang? Do you like cars?" Winter asked the blonde who was handing Ruby tools from the bag.

"Not really, the grease always gets in my hair and it takes forever to wash out." Was all she responded with.

"Then what do you like?" Winter questioned with a warm smile on her face. Yang looked up at her for the first time and smiled.

"Action movies." Yang smiled, but Qrow just groaned.

"I never should have showed you those movies! You've gotten into three fights this year alone!" Qrow complained as he put his hands over his eyes and turned away.

"They started it! I was just trying to protect Ruby and me!" Yang cried out, clearly annoyed.

"Yeah, I know the kid. I just wish you wouldn't do it so much. You can solve problems with more than just your fists" Qrow sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck. Winter felt a little out of her element as the two talked, but she wanted to know more about the girl.

"So why do you like action movies, Yang?" Winter asked as she sat down in front of the girl. Yang took a second to think before she spoke next.

"Because good guys are awesome. People who stand up for what's right always make me happy. Like my uncle Qrow! He knows how to fight, and he's a really good guy! He helped us out, and I guess I just want to be like him" Winter looked at Qrow and seen how much he softened up when she said that.

"I think that's a good reason to like action movies. What if you learned how to fight though?" Winter asked with a smile.

"What?" Qrow let out loudly in disbelief. Yang looked deep in thought but didn't say anything. Qrow walked in front of Winter and looked down at her with confusion and annoyance plastered on his face.

"Why would you say that? You seem pretty nice, but I feel like that's a little over the line, Winter" Qrow spit out. Winter felt guilty, but she couldn't stop herself from trying to help, that's not who she is.

"Sorry, I know I probably shouldn't have said that. But… Ugh, I might not know you, but I know kids. I'm a children's therapist for Pete's sake" Qrow looked pretty shocked at that last part. "Yang doesn't seem like she wants to hurt anyone, she wants to protect her sister. I understand that. I just think that maybe if you got her in a class with some people that know what they're doing that she might take away a lot of good from it. Maybe she'll learn when she's supposed to punch and when to talk" The more Winter explained herself the more he relaxed and looked more guilty than anything else.

They were quiet after that, the only sound was Rubys oblivious humming. Qrow let out a long sigh as he closed his eyes. "Maybe you're right. Yang, would you want to learn how to box?" Qrow hesitantly asked his niece. Yang was still in thought, just sitting there staring blankly at the ground.

"Yeah" Yang whispered so quietly Winter hardly heard her. She looked up at her uncle with a bright smile and a twinkle in her eye, "I think I would like that"

"We'll look into it more when we get home, ok?" Qrow told her, with a smile. "I think your sister needs some help," Qrow said as she pointed towards the car. Yang turned and seem Ruby with her feet up and swinging them wildly. "Looks like she got herself stuck again"

"Ruby! Hang on, I got you!" Yang yelled as she grabbed Rubys legs and pulled with all her might. Ruby popped free and shook her grease-covered face with a smile.

"Thanks, Yang! All done!" Ruby declared as she slowly climbed off the car.

"Really?" Winter asked in disbelief.

"Try it out!" Ruby smiled as she shot two big thumbs up in the air. Winter wasn't sure, but opened the front door and took a seat.

Winter took a deep breath and closed her eyes, grateful that the open hood of the car kept her hidden from everyone else. "Please please please work" Winter whispered as she closed her eyes tight and turned the key. VRRRRR! Winter pried open her eyes and couldn't help herself. "Yes!" She screamed at the top of her lungs.

"Yay!" Winter heard Ruby say outside of the car. Winter jumped out of the car and ran up to Ruby and hugged her right into the air. "Thank you so much, Ruby! You have no idea how much this means to me!" Winter cried in happiness. But Ruby didn't say anything back. "Ruby?" Winter asked as she put the girl down.

Ruby was pale and breathing heavily with tears at the edge of her eyes, looking like she was about to puke. "Oh no, not again," Yang said as she walked up to Ruby and took her by the hand and led her to the truck.

"What was that? Did I do something wrong?" Winter asked as she looked at Qrow with worry in her eyes. "Is she ok?"

"She's fine, she just… She has a lot of issues with people touching her. It's not just you, it's with everyone. Don't feel bad, you couldn't have known." Qrow looked over at his two nieces with a sad look that looked like it had a lot of history to it. "You said you were a child therapist, right?" Qrow asked, giving her a side look.

"Y-Yeah, I am. Well, I'm fresh out of college. I just got a job in the city. I start Monday" Winter explained quickly, mumbling a few of her words.

"What are your rates like?" Winter looked at him with raised eyebrows.

"As cheap as you need to be. Why?"

Qrow took a deep breath and looked her right in the eyes. His face was filled with so much pain, it looked like he had aged in the blink of an eye. "Those two… They've had hard lives. They've been through a lot, and I'm worried about them. They usually don't take to people so quickly, but I can tell they like you. Do you think you could work with them?" Qrow asked. Inside, she knew that he would beg this girl to help him if he had to. But luckily, he didn't have to.

"Of course, that's why I got licensed after all. I'd love to try and work with them, Qrow." Winter said with a big smile. "After all, I owe Ruby" She laughed as she pointed back at her car.

Qrow smiled at her before looking away and whipping a tear away from his eyes. "I know that's a lot for a stranger to ask for, so thank you. Thank you" Winter could see his red eyes and felt her heartbreak for this man. Winter doubt he would ever say it, but he looked exhausted. Even from the brief time they had spent together, it was clear how much Qrow cared about those two girls. So seeing them go through, whatever it was, probably effected him almost as much as it did them. Winter wanted to help all of them.

Winter and Qrow exchanged phone numbers, finally noticing how late it was getting, Qrow decided it was time to head home. "Bye Winter! Hope you get home ok!" Yang yelled from the driver seat of the red truck. Qrow was on the passenger side and little Ruby was getting squished in the middle.

"See you later Winter!" Ruby yelled out as Yang started to drive away.

"Ruby, what are you saying? We aren't gonna see her again" Yang told her sister.

"We aren't?" Ruby asked, not having any idea what they were gonna see each other again pretty soon.

"See you soon Ruby! See you soon Yang!" Winter yelled back as she waved them off, going along with Ruby. Qrow poked his head out of the window and looked back at her with a smile and a wave. Winter couldn't help copying him with a grin. Pretty soon they were past the horizon and Winter was standing alone in the road once again.

"I hope Yang knows how to drive" Winter laughed as she walked into her car again. It started up without a hitch, and Winter couldn't help but do a little dance. Winter put the car in drive and went the same way as the three. After about twenty minutes the city finally came into view. It was lit up like a Christmas tree and was bustling with life. The sight made Winter a little nervous. But a vision of a little girl with white hair popped into her head, but this time there was a blonde and a girl with black hair standing with her.

Friends… The thought of her sister with Yang and Ruby made Winter laugh hard. It was the kind of belly laugh that made you curl up on the floor and took away your breath. "I really can't Picture Weiss hanging out with those two, but as long as she finds some friends, that would be enough" Winter smiled as she pulled into the city.

"Just a little bit longer Weiss, I'll take you back soon"

-Authors note-

So this is the first thing I've posted, so if anyone likes this and wants me to continue it, please comment and let me know. I'd be happy to do it even if just one person wants it! Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

The sun was low when Winter finally found her new apartment building, and her mood was less than stellar. She had been searching for the building for the better part of an hour, but for some reason, her GPS kept taking her in circles before Winter realized that she didn't put in the right address. Winter might have been able to recognize it sooner from the pictures she'd seen online, but the pictures didn't, well, do the building justice, is a nice way to put it.

The pictures that Winter had seen of the building were probably a decade old and were probably photoshopped. The website made the building out to be a beautiful, twelve floor, colonial apartment building made out of bright red bricks, with each apartment being fully furnished with up to date appliances and the internet. The cherry on top was that it was within walking distance of downtown, all within her price range! Which, sadly, was a lot lower than she would like to admit.

If the add was right about one thing, it was that the building was certainly made out of bricks. The building was more like a prison that had been left to rot than an apartment building. The bricks that were painted a grotesque rust red that was darkened by a green mold that was growing all over the building. The buildings neighboring her moldy prison were also a little rough around the edges, with plenty of broken windows and graffiti. It also smelled like a mix of urine and wet dog when she rolled down her window, which was only made better by the distant sound of a police siren. Let's just say that Winter was nervous to sit in her car for too long without locking the doors.

The building did look to be twelve floors high, but most of the windows on the lower floors were barred while the higher floors had what Winter guessed were AC units sticking out of them. Also, Winter couldn't prove it, but she was ninety-percent sure that the building was tilted.

"Let's just hope the inside is better" Sighed Winter as she got out of the car, double and triple-checking that she locked it before making her way towards her, ugh, new home.

The lobby of the building was a simple room without much fluff and didn't help Winter's fears. There were mailboxes in the corner with only one or two broken open. Next to the mailboxes there was a set of stairs that Winter hoped was locked from the outside, and at the far end of the room was an old doorman. His hair was thinning and white white, and he was leaning back in his chair and muttering to himself, deeply engrossed in his book of crossword puzzles. He was sitting behind a rickety-looking wooden teller desk that looked like it was made of plywood that might break if you put too much weight on it.

Winter cautiously approached the desk, watching as the man fixed his thin glasses. Winter reached the desk and quietly stood with her arms crossed, waiting for him to notice her. Soon enough, Winter was shifting her weight from one foot to the other trying to keep her legs from cramping up. He didn't look up, he just sat there tapping his pencil to his chin and muttering. "Excuse me?" Winter started politely as she dropped her arms.

The man cast her a glance before his eyes fell back onto the book, "Four letter word for the _sky_" The man asked, almost like he was talking to himself.

Winter thought for a moment, "Wide?" Winter stuttered, not sure if he was listening.

"Nope, has to start with _B_" He grunted, sounding a little annoyed.

"Blue?" It was out of Winter's mouth on instinct and wished she hadn't said anything. Saying nothing was better than giving a wrong answer in her experience. He didn't say anything while Winter's heartbeat like an engine running off her anxiety. The man stopped tapping his chin and his eyes got wide while a smile broke out on his face.

"Blue! How about that! Thanks, kid!" Gushed the man, finally putting down his book, but leaving the page marked. Winter smiled awkwardly, it was the first time anyone had called her kid in years. "Now what can I help ya with, Miss...?" The man asked, stretching out his hand.

"Winter Schnee" She smiled as she shook his hand.

"Schnee? I'm Earl. You're the girl that just signed on my apartment, right?"

"Yes sir" Winter nodded slightly.

"Well, you're certainly not the type we usually get in this building. And you certainly don't look like the kind of young woman who would be so late" Earl laughed, making winter go red like roses. Earl slowly stood up, his bones cracking like some kind of odd song as he moved. "I was expecting ya hours ago"

"Oh, you know… traffic" Winter quickly spilled, looking away as she did. Earl didn't look convinced, raising an eyebrow at her, but didn't push any further than that.

"If you say so" Earl bent under the desk, fishing out two brass keys on a keyring. "Here" tossing the keys to her.

Winter tried to catch them but failed miserably. "Shi-" was all she got out before she covered her mouth with her hand. She looked up at Earl, but he was still making his way around the desk. Winter held her breath as she bent down to grab the fallen keys.

Earl walked with a limp in his step towards the elevator. Winter followed, glancing at the keys in her hand. They had the numbers 8-13 thinly etched into them, almost like someone had carved the numbers with another pair of keys. Thinking about it for a second, Winter was almost positive that's what happened.

The elevator doors slid open, squeaking, making Winter cringe. With a hard lurch, the elevator slowly started to rise. Winter twiddled her thumbs together in her hand and the only thing she could think was, _Please don't let us get stuck_, over and over in her head.

Within a few moments, they reached the eighth floor and were walking down the hall. The hall looked like something out of a bad motel, with old white wallpaper with some paintings now and then, Winter's favorite was one of a forest that was on fire. Not ominous at all. The carpet was also just the littlest bit sticky, the feeling was making WInter feel sicker and sicker with every step she took. Then, they reached room 8-13. As Earl put in his key, Winter started to pray, hoping that the room wasn't too terrible.

Earl held the door open and looked at Winter expectantly. Gulping down her fear and doubt, Winter closed her eyes and dragged herself through the threshold of her new apartment. Winter was almost shaking, and had to pry her eyes open to get a good look at the apartment, "It's not much, but It'll do ya just fine" Earl explained as he walked past her.

It was actually… wasn't as bad as she thought it would be. The apartment was a bright gold that was soft and comforting and reflected in the hardwood floor that felt firm under Winter's feet. They were standing in a short hallway that had a small closet built in it, and Winter took her shoes off and put them to the side.

They walked into a large kitchen/dining room area. The walls were painted a brittle light blue that needed to be replaced. There was a small wooden table and two chairs that looked like they were a few decades too old, but at the same time added a bit of charm. To their left sat a small counter with a gas stove built-in. It was small, but could easily fit two people comfortably. Winter also couldn't help notice that the entire room smelled like the forest, and she closed her eyes to enjoy the serene feeling it brought her. When she opened her eyes, they landed on a candle that was still burning and was almost empty.

At the end of the kitchen, there was a small drop that led to an empty carpeted room, with the only thing in it being a small recliner chair. "Living room" Earl explained, pointing to the cable and power plugs sitting in the center of the wall. _If only I had brought a T.V._ Winter thought with an almost sad chuckle to herself.

To the left of that room was a small hallway with two doors. Earl limped over and opened the first one up to reveal a small bathroom with hardly enough room for the shower, toilet, and sink. "Got plenty of hot water, but it might take a minute to heat up. Oh, and I wouldn't flush the toilet while you're in the shower" Earl chuckled to himself.

"Why not?" Winter asked innocently, hoping he was joking.

"As long as you don't do it, then you got nothing to worry about. So don't do it" He winked at her. This didn't do anything to ease the butterflies in Winter's stomach.

The last room on this side hallway was a small bedroom. It had a bed on a rickety frame in one corner and a small closet, aside from that the room was empty. The was painted an odd dark red that made Winter a bit uncomfortable. Winter walked around the room while Earl stood by the door, watching her.

"Carpet got cleaned last year, so it shouldn't stink too bad. And I think the view from this room is pretty nice if I say so myself" He pointed to the window at the far end of the room.

Winter hadn't even noticed it before Earl had pointed it out. Winter walked over to it and could feel her heart speed up. The sight of the city was one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen. The sun was already gone and as far as the eye can see there were beautiful sparkling jewels, making it look like the city look like a king's crown. "Yeah, pretty good view" Winter whispered, her eyes glued to the scene before her.

After a few moments Earl coughed, ripping Winter back to reality, "There's still one more bedroom if you wanna see it"

"Oh, if you wouldn't mind. please!" Gushed Winter, her face blushing as she realized how long she had been staring out into the beauty of the city.

Earl led her down past the living room and into the hallway on the other side. This side only had a single door at the end of the hall. This bedroom was the same size as the first and had the same kind of bed and closet, but it was painted an odd brown color that reminded Winter of bruised bananas. There was a window in this room too, but the view was much less glamorous than the first, this one getting a prime view of the back of a few neighboring buildings and a bird's eye view of a few streets. One thought hit Winter as she sat there and looked at the room, _Weiss is gonna hate this color._


	4. Chapter 4

"So, what do you think?" Earl questioned as they made their way back down the elevator.

"It's… Nice. I think it could do with a new coat of paint though"

"Well, you can do whatever you want to it, as long as you don't wreck it. It's my building after all. Besides, new paint shouldn't bring down the value that much" laughed Earl as the elevator squeaked open on the ground floor.

"Really? Thank you!" Winter smiled, already feeling giddy for her future home makeover.

Soon enough the two of them found themselves back at the front desk, and Earl was slowly sitting back down in his chair and picking up his crossword book again, "So what do I do now?" Asked Winter, not having the slightest clue how you go about getting an apartment.

"Nothing. You signed all the paperwork online. Odd really, hardly anybody ever does that before seeing the building in person. You already paid last and these months rent over the computer too. You got the key and know the room, so now you move in. If I can help ya with anything else, let me know"

Winter thought of her car filled to the brim with her odds and ends but doubted he'd be able to help her too much with that limp. "I should be ok. Thanks, Earl" Earl smiled up at her and held it out a hand again. Winter smiled and took it.

"Just so ya know, you gotta get better at shaking hands. Going all limp-wristed like that will give people the wrong idea about ya" Earl laughed as he moved his arm up and down, watching Winter's wrist flap with it. Winter's face exploded in a blush as he released her from his grip. She tried to say something, but nothing came out. Earl laughed, and Winter rushed out the front door with her head held low, heading for her car.

It was well after one am when Winter finally finished moving all of her stuff into her apartment. Boxes littered the living room like some kind of labyrinth. She was impressed with how much stuff she and Weiss had packed in her bug in just one rushed night of packing. Winter layed on the floor of the living room, right in the center of the mess. She was panting and could hardly move her arms they hurt so much. A part of her, most of her actually, wanted to just pass out right there on the floor.

Shakily, she pulled her phone out of her back pocket. Opening it up, she was shocked to see no less than thirty-five text messages. Winter grimaced as she skimmed them, finding most of them to be more or less the same: _Did you make it there ok? Why did you try and call me so many times? Are you alive? Why aren't you answering? I'm getting scared!_

Winter drew in a shaky breath as she hit the call button, scared of what fury might await her on the other end. _Ring… Ri-_ "Winter?"

"Heeeey, Weiss. What are you doing up?" Winter was hoping, just a little, that her sister had passed out early after their long night the day before.

"What am I doing up? Waiting for you, you dolt! You were supposed to call me when you got to the apartment! Which, in case you forgot, was supposed to be hours ago!"

"I'm sorry! My car died on me in the middle of nowhere for a while and it put me a little bit behind schedule, ok?"

"I'm sorry, did you say that your car died! Why didn't you call!" Weiss demanded Winter could almost see her baby sister's face start to glow pink with how worked up she was getting. The thought made her smile, even though she was getting chewed out.

Winter explained what happened out on the road, from her car dying on her to her three strange saviors. It took a while to get it all out though because Weiss kept interrupting with questions and more than a few lectures on how Winter had to be much more careful of strangers in the future.

"Well, at least they were nice" Weiss begrudgingly admitted "And they helped you, so they must not be that bad" Winter could swear she could see her baby sister pouting and had to hold back her giggles.

"Yeah, I think you would have liked the girls, one of them looked like she was your age, and the other one was a little bit younger and looked cute as a button" Winter gabbed, clearly picturing Yang and Ruby.

"From what you told me, she sounds annoying" Weiss snickered.

"Nah, it was endearing," Winter said as she rolled over onto her side, her back was starting to hurt from the ground. "So do you know what songs you're gonna go over tomorrow?"

There was a pause at the other end like Weiss was thinking, "Sighhhhh, I have no idea, Win. I'm sure told me in our last lesson, but all her songs are just so boring, I can never remember them" Weiss sighed. This wasn't the first time Weiss had told Winter about this, and she could feel the burn of tears just behind the surface of her face at not being there to cheer up her sister anymore.

"You know how Father is, just try your best to push through it so he's happy. But make sure you play what you want when you can, and be sure to make something up for your big sister, ok?".

"You know I will, Win" Weiss yawned happily through the phone.

Winter checked the time on her phone and was shocked to see it was already half-past two, "Alright, Weiss, I think it's time for bed" Winter yawned, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Winter suddenly realized just how exhausted she was from the past two days.

"Oh, alright. I'll talk to you soon, right?"

There was so much hope in her voice, _she sounds just like she did when she used to ask to sleep in my bed_, Winter grabbed her chest feeling homesick for the first time. "Yeah, of course. Just make sure nobody knows, or they might take away the phone I gave you"

"I'm not dumb Winter, I remember" Weiss sighed, but Winter could hear her run over to her bedroom door and check to make sure nobody was nearby.

"Just gotta be sure. Night Weiss, love you"

"Love you too, Win! Oh, and good luck on Monday!" And with a small click, the conversation was over.

Winter stood up, her legs cramped and fighting her every move. Winter struggled to walk over to one of the bigger boxes she had set aside earlier and opened it. Pulling out a big comforter, Winter wrapped herself up in it like a cloak and started to waddle over to the bedroom with a beautiful view. Winter fell onto the mattress and curled up in the blanket, with only her nose sticking out of her ball.

On the brink of sleep, two last thoughts came to Winter sleep-deprived mind. _This is the first time I've ever been on my own_, and _This is the only time I've ever slept on a bed that wasn't made… Not too bad_. And then, she was out like a light.

-Authors note-

So people liked this story a lot more than I thought, so I'm gonna continue it! This is again, my first story, so any comments of support are welcome and wanted! Whether it's criticisms or compliments, anything is nice! This is gonna be a bit of a long story, and I'm gonna try to make Saturdays the day I update everything. Thanks to anyone who's read this, and have a great day!


	5. Chapter 5

The blaring noise of a car horn and a loud crash snapped Winter awake, pumping adrenaline into her like electricity. Shooting up in her bed and looking around, Winter wasn't sure where she was or what she was doing there. But just as quickly the events of the last few days sunk into her, and understanding took over where shock had just been.

WInter flopped out of bed and made her way to the only window in the room. Her heart still raced when she looked out into the city, a feeling she hoped she would never get used to. But her eyes eventually dropped from the peaks of the buildings of the city and fell onto the road right outside of her apartment building. There was a small accident right up the road of the building. Nobody looked hurt, thankfully, but it looked like someone had been rear-ended though. The car owners were currently in a screaming match that Winter was glad she couldn't hear. Winter smiled as the face of the pre-teen girl who fixed her car popped into her head.

Winter wrapped herself up in her blanket and started to walk around her apartment, looking at it with fresh eyes. It wasn't amazing or anything, but it wasn't terrible. She could imagine where she would hang things and even what colors would work best in the space. While she was thinking, Winter stepped carefully, avoiding her many box towers, as she made her way to the kitchen.

Her stomach grumbled as she stepped onto the platform and her bare feet hit the fridged hardwood floor. Winter couldn't remember the last time she ate and smiled at the thought of a nice egg sandwich for breakfast. But her heart fell as she opened the fridge door and found it empty. "What a great way to start my Saturday morning" Winter sighed, shutting the fridge door.

Winter spent the next thirty minutes opening boxes, which Winter stupidly forgot to label, trying to find a decent outfit. She finally decided on a pair of white pants and a blue and white sweater. She might have picked something different, but her stomach was grumbling at her every few minutes to hurry up. After she had her outfit, Winter spent the next twenty minutes fixing her horrible bedhead.

One of Winter's greatest embarrassments is just how unruly her hair was in the morning most days. Her hair, no matter how much she tried the night before, always exploded every which way whenever she woke up. She had to work to get it back to its proper shape every morning. While Weiss, curse her, never had the issue and always had perfect hair in the morning.

After fixing her hair in a tight bun, making sure to get all of her hair into it, Winter decided to check online for a grocery store near her. That's when to Winter's horror, she first looked at the time. Instead of it being early morning like she thought, it was already three in the afternoon! "I slept for twelve hours!" shrieked Winter loud enough that her neighbor pounded on the wall. Winter blushed as she rushed to put on the first pair of shoes she could find and flew out the door, looking up a place to buy groceries on the way.

As Winter walked down the street, she couldn't understand why none of the grocery stores she was used to were near her. Luckily she ran into Earl in the lobby, exactly where she had left him last night, and he told her about a small place up the street called _Elmos_. Winter was nervous to walk down the street, but she didn't want to waste gas if she could help it. Plus, it was broad daylight and she doubted anyone would try anything… Hopefully.

Winter found it fast enough, it was a small corner store that had the name in faded red cursive above the doors and looked like it was made by the same person who designed her building.

Winter grabbed a handbasket and made her way into the store. After a few minutes of shopping, she started to feel… Off. Wherever she went Winter felt stares from other shoppers burning into the back of her neck, whenever she turned to look at them though, they were just doing their own shopping. Some even nodded at her with a smile. Winter felt her face start to flush, not sure why she felt so uncomfortable and anxious. She decided to hurry up and get what she needed.

Winter rushed with her full basket up to the register which was being manned by a slightly obese woman whos perfectly done makeup made Winter feel just a little bit jealous. "That'll be ninety-three dollars ma'am," Said the woman at the register with a warm smile. Winter felt her heart drop.

She opened her wallet and started to count, something she wasn't used to doing if she was being honest. Winter gave a forced laugh as she handed over almost all of the bills in her wallet to the woman. _When did food get so expensive?_ Winter asked herself as she grabbed her bags and headed back to the apartment.

It was a quick walk back, but Winters' already sore arms almost gave out by the time she was back in the lobby of her building. She was met with a shock when she opened the lobby door, she and Earl weren't the only ones in the lobby for once. Standing there talking to Earl was a tall thin man with an intricately braided ponytail that went halfway down his back. He was curved over Earls desk and sounded like he was laughing. The sound made Winter shiver.

"Find it ok? No hassle?" Earl asked loudly as Winter made it to the elevator. The man, not noticing her, turned towards her with an annoyed look on his face, clearly not happy being interrupted. His annoyance instantly melted into an odd grin when his eyes found Winters. She could see his eyes travel up and down her body and felt like getting as far away from this man as fast as she could.

"Goodness, Earl you didn't think to mention that we had such a beautiful young woman in a building as decrepit as this!" The man exclaimed as he took two wide steps and ended up way too close for comfort. "Tyrian Callows, charmed, I'm sure" He smiled with a polite nod.

"Winter."She blurted after a moment's hesitation, making sure not to give him her full name.

"Winter… Such a beautiful name, for a beautiful girl!" Tyrian gushed as he moved his hand and tried to casually rest it on her shoulder, but she moved at the last second. He didn't look happy that she had moved.

"Tyrian, I needed to talk with Winter. Private stuff, you understand. So if you wouldn't mind leaving us alone for a while" Earl chimed in, his book to the side and his full attention on the two of them. Tyrion turned and looked at the old man with a look of contempt, but his face switched back to a charmless smile when he turned back to her.

"Another time then, dear Winter" He smiled as he snaked away to the elevator. Winter thought he looked like a spider when he walked and was glad when the elevator took him away.

"What did you need to talk about, Earl?" Winter asked politely as she let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding.

"Him. Stay away from Tyrion, he's bad news with a worse reputation. I can only guess which of the rumors around that creep are true… He lives on the eleventh floor, try and stay away from him if you can" Earl explained as he leaned back in his chair and picked up his book.

"Thanks for the warning Earl, I appreciate it" Winter smiled at him. He nodded and smiled back, then his attention turned back to his book.

"Five letter word for sweet. Starts with _S_"

Winter hit the elevator button with her elbow and thought. "Sugar?" She offered after a few moments. Earl looked up with a grin on his face.

"Right again" he laughed, writing the answer in. The elevator squeaked open and Winter got in with a skip in her step.

Winter gave a sigh of relief as she locked her apartment door behind her. _It might not have been a long trip, but it sure felt like one_, she thought to herself as she put her groceries away and finally started to make some food for her aching stomach.

Sitting down and eating her egg sandwich, Winter realized how quiet it was in the apartment. She was so used to Weiss being by her side or always being somewhere doing something, that the lack of movement and noise was almost unnerving.

After a few minutes, and a few egg sandwiches, Winter heard a small chime noise coming from her pocket. Then, another one right after. Winter grabbed a napkin and pulled her phone out. The texts were from two unknown numbers.

The first, _Winter, this is Doctor Ironwood. I think it would be a good idea if you came in tomorrow and got your office ready for Monday. Please let me know if this works for you_. Winter felt her heartbeat quicken, and she wasn't sure if it was anxiety or excitement.

The next was a bit… less formal. _Hey, this is the one girl who was stranded in the middle of nowhere, right? If it is, let me know. I told Yand and Ruby they might get to see you again and now they won't stop bugging me until they know when. So we should probably work that out. Tnx_, And then there was an emoji of a blackbird. Winter let out a loud laugh after reading Qrows text, it sounded like a middle schooler wrote it.

_ , I would greatly appreciate the chance to see the office tomorrow. I will be there bright and early, thank you._ She wrote the message quickly but ended up re-writing it about a dozen times before she sent it.

Qrows message didn't take long at all to write though. She started it off with the bird emoji, making her smile. _I would love to see you guys soon! I start work on Monday, so I'll tell you when we can meet then. But I should be available at some point this week. Tell the girls I say hi for me! - The girl you found stranded._ Then she put a snowflake emoji and sent it off with a smile.

As Winter put her phone down she couldn't help but feel giddy. She had never felt so popular before!

-Authors note-

Thanks again to everyone who's reading the story and the support I've gotten! Thanks to anyone who has left a comment too, timrocks99 and daring-moon! Little stuff like that makes my day and gives me a lot of push to keep going with this! So any other comments are appreciated!

I really like this story so far and hope you guys do too!


	6. Chapter 6

The rest of Winters Saturday was spent unpacking and decorating. She must have had about a million boxes around her apartment, and it took as long as you'd expect to get everything unpacked. What didn't take as long as she expected was decorating. Most of what she had packed was clothes, bedding, bathroom utilities, and a few other odds and ends. Almost everything fit into her bedroom, so at least one room in her apartment looked like it was lived in.

In the end, Winter tried to go to bed early so she would get a jump on the morning. But she ended up staying up listening to the sound of the street below for who knows how long. She wasn't sure if the noise was calming or if it just kept her mind occupied in the quiet, but it was nice all the same.

Right now WInter was standing in front of her mirror and remaking her bun for what felt like the millionth time that morning. For some reason, it was either too loose, too tight, too messy, or looked plain ugly. Eventually, she got it down, but not without a few choice words at her white locks and a few bobby pins.

Winter quickly found herself walking out the front doors of the building towards her bug. Walking out the front doors Winter made sure to keep on her guard, making sure nobody was around that might try anything, but thinking about getting behind the wheel of her trusted car put some pep in her shaky steps. But when she put her hand on the door of the car, she thought about how it had broken down just two days earlier and her stomach dropped like a brick.

Hesitantly, like the handle might break if she pulled too hard, Winter opened the door and sat down. She could feel her hands shaking as she moved her keys to the ignition, even missing it a few times before the key found its mark. Winter knew she was being silly, the car had gotten her all the way here after Ruby had fixed it, and hadn't shown any sign of slowing down on the way. But still, what if something had changed? She didn't have the money for car repairs. Something like that might put her on the street… "Deep breath Winter, it'll be fine. I'm sure Ruby knew what she was doing… I hope she put that engine back together when she got home" Winter whispered to herself as she turned the key. The small bug roared to life like it was annoyed she hadn't drove it for so long, purring like a kitten that was excited to play. "Yes! Thank you! I owe you so many cookies!" Like a white streak of lighting, Winter and her bug were on their way to work.

Winter's job was close enough to walk to if she had to, but the thought of walking close to a mile in heels made a shiver go down her back. With the bug, it was a quick drive to the center of downtown. When she drove closer to downtown it was like night and day compared to her neighborhood. The downtown was filled to the brim with people coming and going with smiles on their faces and conversation in the air. Even with skyscrapers all around her, it also seemed like the city somehow brighter in this part of the city. Winter couldn't help the smile that formed on her face.

Winter followed her phones directions past small shops, cafes, and she even seen a small comedy club off the main road. Then, she found the building she was looking for and her smile died as quick as lightning. It was one of the biggest buildings in the city and looked like it was one of the oldest. It was sleek, red-bricked, at least twenty stories tall, and dripped with history and class. Pulling into the parking garage, she was intimidated, to say the least.

The lobby was just as magnificent as the outside of the building. It was made of stone that must have been chiseled by some kind of an angel and flowed like water. There was also gold. Everywhere. Where there wasn't intricately carved stone, there was gold. If you switched out the gold and stone for white and light blue, it would be just like home, and it felt like it too. Which for her Winter, meant a lot of anxiety and a pounding heart.

The elevator ride up wasn't much better. Important business people stood all around her, everyone talking over everyone else and trying to be the loudest one in the room. Winter stood there silently, twiddling her thumbs together among the yells. Then, the doors opened up on floor twelve. Winter waited for someone to get out first, but nobody moved. "Sorry, excuse me" Winter chirped as she quickly pushed her way out onto the floor. Someone swore, but she wasn't sure if it was because of her or something on his phone.

The room that Winter was standing in was odd, to say the least. Not to say that it wasn't fancy or anything, it was. But it was also kind of… not. The walls were an elegant white that had black hardwood from about a quarter of the wall down. It was a wide waiting room that had expensive-looking chairs lining the walls like a doctor's office, but also had chests filled to the brim with toys and small tables that had coloring books on them. When Winter took a few steps closer, she noticed that the tables themselves looked like they were stained with crayon lines.

Winter couldn't help but get reminded of when Weiss was born. The maids tried to keep her chaos to a minimum in the beautiful home, but Weiss always destroyed almost any room she was in. The result of the chaotic baby and the maids always left the house looking a lot like this room.

To the side of the waiting room, there was a woman with red hair that looked to be a bit older than Winter sitting behind a desk. She was looking down at a computer and typing lazily, clearly not in a big rush with the waiting room empty. Winter took another deep breath before walking over to her.

"Hello" Winter started, trying her best not to scare her. The woman looked up with a big smile, not at all shocked by Winter's presence.

"You must be Winter! James has told me so much about you!" She beamed as she stood up and walked out from behind the desk. "I'm Amy, the secretary here, obviously" She giggled as she held out her hand.

"Winter, nice to meet you," Winter said as she shook Amy's hand.

"James won't be here for a while, but he asked me to take you around for a tour and to show you where you'll be working. So let's get going!" Winter felt her jittery hands start to subside as soon as Amy talked. She had a calming air about her that was almost motherly, and Winter appreciated it.

"So this is the main lobby. It's ok right now, but kids can sometimes get a little intense before sessions and make the whole room look like a bomb went off. Plus the little ones love drawing on the tables. We tried using covers, but they always found a way under them, so we usually leave the crayon marks" Amy gestured to the tables as she walked the two of them to a door at the far end of the lobby.

Behind the door was a long hallway that seemed more like a maze then anything else. "So this is where most of the rooms are. There are a lot of offices here, some are storage, and then there are a few rooms that the people who own the building use. But we mainly use this hallway" Any said as she walked down one long stretch. There were rooms on both sides of the hallway, everyone had a plaque on it with someone's name following the word doctor.

The last door at the end of the hall had on the plaque, and Winter felt her pulse quicken "And this is where you'll be working" Amy beamed, standing beside the door directly to the right of . Winter couldn't help but realize that it was the only door without a plaque.

"It's mostly been used as storage the past few years, so it's full of random stuff. James says that you can use whatever you want in here for your office, and to move anything you don't want to the storage room down the hall" Any smiled at Winter for a few moments, but Winter was too nervous to open the door.

Winter was scared of what she would find in there, and what she would end up doing in this room. What if A kid didn't like the way she decorated it and hated her for it? Her mind was moving a million miles an hour while her body was frozen solid like ice. But Winters mind suddenly did a one-eighty as she thought of her sister. Weiss walking around her office for the first time, complimenting her on how amazing the room looked and how proud of Winter she was. That couldn't happen if she didn't open the door. So, with Weiss' picture in her head, WInter opened the door to her new office. Her new life.


	7. Chapter 7

Winter opened the door and gasped… The room was a total disaster. There was junk piled high, low, and in every crack in between. There were chairs, books, toys, a few desks, couches, and who knows what else. A lot of it was covered under sheets to keep the dust off. The only bright side was a large window that took up most of the far wall. The city was sprawling out beneath them, and Winter felt her heart skip a beat.

"Yeah, it's… a bit of a fixer-upper. That's what James says at least" Amy gave a nervous laugh as she rubbed her arm and looked everywhere but at Winter. Winter took a few steps into what she could only describe as the landfill of the office. The only difference is that it smelled nice in the room, like cherry.

"That's an understatement" Winter couldn't help but let just a little bit of venom out when she talked, but Amy either didn't hear or didn't care. _ expected me to work in this tomorrow? This is gonna take hours to clean! But, maybe this was some kind of test?_ Winter thought, trying to see some reason for what was going on.

"I'm not sure what James is thinking, but I'm sure there's a reason" Amy tried to sooth but failing to reassure Winter in the slightest. "Do you want any help moving this? This seems like a lot for one person, and it's no trouble at all" Amy almost sounded excited to help with this nightmare. Winter was about to accept the help, dreading doing all the moving by herself, but then a thought struck her. _This has to be a test. He's probably testing her to see how dedicated she is. Just like father. It's the only explanation. I can't prove myself if Amy helps… _

"I appreciate it, but I should be fine!" Winter beamed, trying her best to flash a confident smile.

"Well, if you're sure… I'll leave you to it. Let me know if you change your mind or just want some company" Amy sounded confused, but didn't try and push Winter at all. Amy waited for a minute like she was waiting for Winter to say something, then she slowly walked out the door and back to her desk.

Winter sighed and looked around the room. This was gonna take hours. Good thing she didn't have anything else to do with her Sunday. "Alright… Let's get to it"

A brutal two hours later and Winter was sitting on the floor of the room wiping sweat from her forehead, her jacket thrown to the side and her heels discarded. Her arms and legs both hurt a lot more than they did when she moved her boxes, but the result was a lot prettier. After clearing the walls, Winter found out that the whole office was a calming light tan color that reminded Winter of an autumn day. The color also looked beautiful with the crisp sunlight beaming through the window.

After clearing out a lot of the junk Winter found a lot of really good things to use. There were a few shelves that she liked and decided to put some of the random books that were around the room on them. A lot of them were old psychology textbooks, a few Winter had owned before, but the oddest she found was a romance book that was about something called the love languages. It was filled cover to cover with handwritten notes. WInter knew it was silly, but she always pictured her office having a bookshelf like this, the look of it made Winter feel official.

She also found a few chairs that looked good enough to keep. None of them were from the same set, which annoyed her slightly, but she needed something for kids to sit on. So she had a big fluffy couch, a black leather chair, a brown leather chair, and even a few bean bags. Winter's biggest find though was her new desk. It was large and stained a beautiful dark brown-red, looking as professional as you could get. The draws were filled with garbage, which sucked to clean, but the look was worth it. Everything else, including the countless toys, Winter slowly and agonizingly moved down the hall.

While admiring her hard work, Winter heard the soft steps of Amy approaching the office. Her, office. "I think I really fixed it up, what do you think?" Winter laughed as she sprawled out on the hardwood floor.

"I couldn't agree more," Said a slow, deep voice that was not the small secretary. Winter turned to look who was talking.

"Doctor Ironwood!" Winter squeaked, shooting up to a standing position. Winter had completely forgotten that he was coming into the office, and her face was flush thinking about how she must look. Sweaty and gross isn't the impression she was going for.

"Not the person you were expecting?" chuckled as he folded his hands behind his back. He was a tall man dressed in a white suit that looked freshly made by the best foreign tailor money could buy. He had well combed black hair on top while his sides had turned a light gray. Even with the gray though he looked fairly young, probably in his mid-forties. His posture was incredibly ridged, like someone in the military. He also had a very calm air about him. At least while he was giving a small smile that is.

"No sir, not at all" Winter stammered, trying her best to match his posture. "I was expecting Amy"

"I'm sure. I was talking to her for a while before coming in. She was sad when you didn't want any help with cleaning. She offered to come in today to help. She thought it would be a good chance for you two to get to know each other a bit. She knew you just moved to the city and probably needed a friend"

"I had no idea" Winter stuttered out, feeling a pit of guilt form in her stomach that burned like acid. Any thought of this being a test flew out of her mind. Not only did she get that wrong, but she also missed out on the chance to make a new friend…

"I wouldn't worry about it. There'll be plenty of chances for you two to talk from here on out. After all, you start tomorrow. Sorry for making you clean this up by the way. But the building custodians have been having a rough time cleaning up some mess on the fifth floor the past week. So they couldn't get to this, no matter how much I begged" sighed as he started to walk around the room, looking at her handy work. Even on the hardwood floor, his step was soft-sounding, Winter had no idea if he was doing it on purpose or not.

"It's no problem at all "

"Nonsense. I would've been here myself to help, but I had a meeting that I couldn't get out of. A lot of stuff crashed together in a bad way this weekend Winter, you have my apologies" looked out the window down at the street.

" , it wasn't any trouble" Winter moved to take a step forward, but stopped herself. She wasn't sure if he wanted her to move or not. "Doctor… I just wanted to say thank you for this opportunity, and apologize for how last minute and, odd, it all is" Winter hesitated, saying every word slowly. She wasn't sure exactly what to say, but she felt like she had to say thank you _somehow_.

turned to her, "Winter, do you know I hired you?" his expression was unreadable. She thought for a second, not sure how to respond.

"My grades?"

smiled, "As impressive as they were, and they were truly impressive, no. Not your grades. When I seen you in that lecture hall I instantly knew who you were. The white hair, the clothes, the eyes especially were just like your mothers. But there you were, Jacques Schnees perfect heiress, who I heard was going to business school, sitting in the back at a guest presentation about child growth and psychology. At first, I thought you were just there for extra credit, but I watched you take notes during my whole presentation" Winter blushed, she had no idea he had been watching her so close that day.

"So when I found you in the hall after, I thought that you might need… A helping hand, let's say. Do you remember what I told you?" asked, stepping closer to her. Winter had stopped trying to keep her back straight, her mind was a million miles away now.

"You told me that if I ever needed advice, help, a job, or anything, to give you a call day or night. You also told me to keep up the good work, and that I'd… That I'd be a great Psychologist. Then, you handed me your card and wrote your cell phone number on it" Winter felt burning tears at the corner of her eyes at the memory.

She hadn't said a word to him when they first met, he had just strolled up to her and started to talk. That one small interaction validated everything that she had always been too scared to believe. It was one thing for Weiss and her mother to tell her she could do it, but … It meant more to her than she could say.

"Exactly right. So when you called me a few days ago, in the middle of the night in a panic, I wasn't going to turn you away. I think you're going to do amazing things in this field, and I want to help you as much as I can on your way. Thank me by proving me right" smiled as he put his hand softly on her shoulder.

"Does my father know I'm here?"

"I don't think so. I haven't gotten any messages, or threats, from him yet. But I expect he'll find out soon enough, and I'll deal with that when the time comes. But don't that's not for you to worry about" He smiled and started to walk around the room again, "I do love what you've done with the place. But, could I offer one bit of advice?"

"Of course doctor. What is it?" She had to bite her lip, just slightly, to keep her tears in.

"Get a toy chest. It might distract some kids, but it'll also get them to like you a bit more."

"Aright Dr. I'll get right on it" Winter smiled, tears finally subsiding within her. He nodded at her and walked to the door. "I'll see you tomorrow, Winter. Have a nice night"

"Goodnight, Sir. See you in the morning" she smiled up at him. Then, just as quietly as he came, he left. Winter let out a huge sigh when she heard the door to the lobby close. Bending over and resting her hands on her knees looking like someone who had just run a marathon.

She felt emotionally exhausted after that conversation, her head pounding ever so slightly. It felt so nice having someone in her corner she could count on right now. She felt like crying, _sobbing_, right now. If she was in her apartment, she probably would have. As a matter of fact, that's where she was gonna go right now. The toy box could wait until tomorrow. For the first time, shocking Winter to her core, she was excited to go back to her mold-covered apartment building. How about that?

-Authors note-

Tell me how you guys are feeling about the story so far. Do you like it, have some issues with it, or what? Hope you guys enjoyed these chapters, see you next week!


	8. Chapter 8

Winter spun slowly back and forth in her chair, the crisp Monday morning air seeping through the window behind her illuminating her office better than any desk light could. She had shown up early, hoping to get to the office before her anxiety woke up, but it was there waiting for her when she opened the door to her office.

Her mind drifted back to the rest of her Sunday after her back-breaking cleaning session. After left, she talked to Amy about this and that, but not anything too important, for awhile. It was nice to just sit and talk with someone about nothing. Winter felt a warm feeling spread through her thinking about it. Amy also gave Winter the schedule for her first day of work. She had three appointments that day, and she should be done by two o'clock. So, she asked Qrow if he could bring the girls by the office after that. Amy told her it wouldn't be an issue to have a preemptive meeting, but Winter was still nervous that she was breaking some kind of law. Qrows response was short, and to the point, _Thank, God._

But before her meeting with the girls, she had her official patients first. So there she was, counting down the milliseconds until her first real meeting. Lines from textbooks kept popping into her head about how to talk to kids, but they all seemed hollow and meaningless now that she was about to do it for real. She would have asked for some advice, but he wasn't supposed to be in until later. Winter smiled at the new toy chest she had moved into her office that morning It was a simple plastic box that was piled high with stuffed animals, games, and whatever else Winter could stuff into it. She shoved it to the side of her office next to the big couch.

The buzzer on her desk phone went off, and it felt like somebody had splashed ice cold water on her head. She had trouble getting air into her lungs and could almost feel someone's invisible hands squeezing her lungs, "Winter, your first appointments here. All ready?" Amy asked in a static-filled voice that was filled with confidence that Winter wished she had. Winters felt her stomach drop like she was lifting off in a plane. Suddenly her breakfast felt like it would come up, just like it did when she usually flew.

Winter moved her hand to answer, finger above the button, when her body ground to a halt, the pad of her finger just touching the smooth plastic. She tried to jerk her arm free, to Answer Amy, but she couldn't find the will to do it. "Don't worry, hun. You'll do great" Amy encouraged through the speaker, almost like she could sense Winters nerves. Or maybe she was just that obvious to read.

"Yeah, I'm ready. Send him in" Winter forced the noise out of her throat, hoping she didn't stutter too badly.

Winter waited as the seconds dragged on and on, feeling like years as this boy slowly walked to her office… But then, minutes did pass. But there was still no knock on her door. "Amy, you did send him back here, right?"

"Yeah, is he not there yet?"

"No. Think he could have gotten lost or something?" Winter wondered aloud.

"I doubt it, I told him to go all the way down to the right and to knock when he got there"

"Weird" Winter mumbled to herself as she stood up and quickly moved to the door. She opened it up planning to go and look for him but never made it out the door.

Standing in front of her office was a short, stick of a kid with a mop of blonde hair on his head who had his shaking fist raised, looking like he was about to knock on her door. They stood facing each other like statues, neither of them sure how to make the first move.

"Jaune Arc?" Winter stuttered out hastily, taking a step back and forcing a smile. He opened his mouth to answer, nothing out came out of it.

After a bit he nodded and looked away from her, "Yes" It was quiet and he sounded terrified to make a noise, but it was better than silence.

"Why don't you have a seat, Jaune" Winter smiled, stepping back and motioning for him to come in. Winter noticed that his pants and shirt were about two sizes too big for his skinny frame and that the shirt was also a bright purple color and had some boyband on the front of it, even though he had his arms crossed over his chest trying to hide it.

Jaune sat down in the seat across from Winter's desk, looking stiff as a board with his hands in tight fists in his lap, looking like he was sitting in the principles office in deep trouble. "So, tell me about yourself, Jaune" Winter asked as she walked around and sat down in her desk chair. She smiled and leaned forward in her chair. He was looking all over the room, but never at her.

"Like what?" He sputtered out slowly and quietly like he was double-checking the words in his mind before saying them.

"Just, anything" Winter wasn't sure what to ask, but this seemed like good a place as any to start. Jaunes attention was focused solely on the hands in his lap as he thought.

"I have seven sisters, my mom works at a bank, and I go to Signal middle school," Jaune said this in a matter of fact sort of way like he was answering a test question. _Well, out of three facts, I got one that was directly about him. That's a start_.

The next hour dragged on, filled with more awkward silences than an average dinner at the Schnee home. It was clear that the kid had a severe lack of confidence, to say the least. When Winter asked him about his favorite game, it took a solid five minutes of him listing off games he played with his sisters to get him to say his favorite was Chess. At the end of the hour, they agreed to meet the same time next week, and for him to come straight to her office and knock next time.

He was a nice boy and Winter was excited to work with him and to get him a bit of a backbone in the future. But until then, she knew her hours with him would be a lot of prying. She was excited to see him next week and had a smile waving him off.

The next boy who came into her office was the complete opposite of Jaune. He was tall, silver-haired, and had a major attitude. Mercury Black Strolled into the office like he owned the place, something Winter didn't even do and sprawled out on the couch with his dirty shoes still on. Winter felt her skin crawl every time she looked at the shoes on her couch. When Winter sat down next to him he started to complain and rant about everything and anything without her even introducing herself.

Winter read in his file that the court had ordered him to see a therapist after he was caught breaking and entering. He didn't steal anything, he hung out in the house for a few hours while the family was out shopping. He was only fourteen, and it wasn't his first offense, but they thought parol and therapy were in order before things got serious.

"That's when I got really mad, so tried to hit the dork, teach her to toughen up a little bit. But some girl got in the way, then a teacher seen and through us both in detention. So now I have to do some stupid letter about why I'm sorry or something dumb like that"

Mercury looked calm when he spoke, he had a nice fluid voice like someone who didn't care what he was saying or who he was saying it to. Winter couldn't help but wonder why he was so mad at everything, making a note of it on the clipboard in front of her. She wanted to help him relax but knew it would be an uphill battle.

"Mercury, our time is about up. Do you want to come back and do this again next week?" Winter interrupted him while he was in the middle of complaining about homework. His head spun to look at her. His eyes were wide, and he looked a little puzzled like he just realized he was talking to someone other than himself.

"Oh. Sure." And like that he got up and left her office without another word.

Winter got up and flopped onto the couch Mercury had just been sitting on, she made sure her shoes were off the coach, the image in her mind was like nails on a chalkboard to her. Winter buried her face in a cushion that felt just the right amount of rough on her soft skin. The couch smelled like something you'd find at an antique shop, musky, old, and like it had a story to tell. Winer felt the muscles in her back loosen as she took in a deep breath. She turned her mind off for a second and willed time to stop while she basked in the glory of comfort.

All too quickly she heard a buzz from her desk, "Ughhh" groaned Winter, not ready for her next appointment yet. Instead of Amy's voice coming out of the speaker, there was just another buzz. Then another. Winter shot up and rushed to her desk when she realized that it was her cell phone in her drawer that was buzzing.

"Hello?" Winter asked, so shocked someone was calling her that she didn't even look at who was calling her.

"Snowflake, we have a bit of an issue" It took Winter a second to place the gruff voice on the other end of the phone.

"What do you mean, Qrow?"

"Well, while we were driving downtown Ruby and Yang finally asked what we were doing visiting you. I guess they thought we were just gonna hang out or something, probably didn't even think about it. Then, I told them you were a therapist…" Then his voice trailed off and until there was nothing on the other end.

"And?" Winter felt her blood run cold at the silence on the other end grow longer and longer.

"They don't wanna see you anymore"


	9. Chapter 9

Winter wasn't exactly sure what she was doing. She didn't think, an odd feeling for her, and just moved based on instinct. Qrow was still telling her where they were parked when she hustled out of the office. She gave a rushed explanation to Amy, barely stopping while she talked. She asked Amy to apologize to her last client and for her and rushed into the elevator. All she told Amy was that something serious was going on and she had to go right away.

It wasn't until she was halfway down the overcrowded elevator, her phone still clenched between her fingers, that she had a thought about what she was going to say. Her thought was pretty simple, _I have no idea what to say_.

When she heard a ding she moved, and in the blink of an eye the gold of the lobby was rushing past her eyes and she was running through the front doors. Winter looked left and right, realizing she hadn't been paying attention when Qrow explained where they had parked. Then, down the road, she spotted the red pickup truck. She moved as fast as her heels would let her down the sidewalk.

Winter wasn't sure what she was expecting, but this wasn't it. Qrow was standing outside of the truck pulling on Yang's ankles while she grabbed onto the frame of the door, trying to drag herself back into the safety of the truck. All the while Ruby was pulling on Yang's arms from inside the truck, trying her best to help her sister. There was a small crowd gathered around the three of them, none of them sure what to do, and she couldn't blame them.

"Just let go, Yang! Just go in and talk to the albino! It'll do you good!" Qrow yelled as he heaved on the poor girls' legs, keeping her in mid-air.

"Never! Don't stop Ruby, I can feel his grip getting weak!" Yang grunted as her grip strength was tested like never before.

"It's her!" Ruby shrieked, letting go of Yang's arms and pointing at Winter. Yangs grip broke right at that moment and she flung out of the truck and right into her uncle. The two of them ended up in a pile in the middle of the street. Winter flinched when she heard the thud hit the ground, both of them groaning in pain. The crowd, realizing the show was ending, thankfully started to disperse after that.

"So who wants to explain what was going on?" Winter questioned with a lot more authority and confidence then she felt she had. The three of them looked at each other, not speaking, while Yang and Qrow slowly stood up and separated. Winters glare traveled over all of them, but when it landed on Ruby she slowly closed and locked the door while maintaining eye contact out of fear. Ruby didn't notice that the window of the door was open.

"I was trying to get them out of the car to see you" Qrow finally answered, hitting the dust off of his dark jeans. Winter noticed how his eyes avoided hers, just like a guilty child.

"An albino Qrow?" Winter gave him a sideways glance filled with annoyance. He just shrugged and gestured to her hair. "Yang? Ruby?" Winter wanted all sides of the story before she spoke. The blonde could have passed for a carbon copy of her uncle at that moment, they both had stubborn pouts on their faces and refused to look anywhere other than the hot dog stand down the road.

"We didn't wanna talk to you" Yang stated, crossing her arms. Winter looked down at her sternly for a second but felt the tension drain out of her quickly when she noticed that the blonde had a small bruise on her cheek that was too old to be from her recent fall. She made a note of it for later as she walked up to Yang and started to dust off her shirt and pants. Yang's back was stiff, but she didn't ask her to stop.

"Well, why not?" Winter simply asked, sounding confused. Winter gave Yang a once over, hitting any particularly dusty spots one last time before she took a step away from Yang. "Did I do something to offend you? If I did, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to"

"What? No, you didn't do anything. Why would you think that?" Yang asked, her eyes quickly darting to Winter's eyes before scurrying away.

"What else am I supposed to think? You two seemed fine with talking to me before, and now you don't want to out of the blue? If you don't explain yourself, of course, that's what I'm gonna think" Winter explained slowly. Yangs eyes dropped to the ground and stayed there while she slowly unfolded her arms.

"So why don't you two want to talk to me anymore?" Winter asked looking at Ruby. The girl had a small frown on her face while her head was sticking out of the open window.

"We don't like therapists. They aren't nice to us." Ruby spoke up, looking right at Winter. She didn't look aggressive like Yang had, she looked sad.

"So you don't want to talk to me anymore?" Winter honestly wasn't sure what the answer would be. Maybe this whole thing would be over before it started.

"Well…" Yang started, but stopped and looked at Ruby. Winter knew the two were having a silent conversation, it was something she and Weiss had perfected over years of practice. The two of them seemed to come to an agreement, both of them looking back to her.

"We like you and you seem nice, but we don't want you as a therapist. Like Ruby said, we don't like them." Yang said pointing her thumb at her sister whos head bobbed up and down like a boat in a storm.

"Guys, you're being ridiculous! She wants to help yo-" Qrow started to plead, sounding frustrated, before Winter interrupted him.

"It's fine Qrow. If they don't want me to be their therapist, that's fine. I don't have to be"

"Winter, they don't mean it! Please!" Qrow was on the verge of begging, Winter could hear it in his quaking voice.

"Does that mean I can be your friend then?" Winter asked with a smile. The two girls had another silent talk. Qrow looked at Winter with his mouth hanging open and his eyes wide as a full moon, a small smile on his face.

"No Tricks? No secret therapizing?" Ruby probed, trying to figure out if she was being honest.

Winter shook her head, "No tricks. I just wanna be your friend" Winter smiled warmly at the two of them.

"Well… All right. If you promise you won't therapize us and only want to be our friend, we can do that" Yang smiled, holding out her pinky.

"Sounds fair" Obliged Winter, tieing her pinky to Yangs. While they were shaking, Ruby climbed out of the car and held out her pinky. With that, Winter sealed a deal of friendship with these two girls. While the sisters beamed at each other, talking about all the fun they were going to have, Qrow and her shared a silent smile of understanding. Qrow looked shaken, but also filled to the brim with energy. He reminded her of someone who had won the lottery and wasn't exactly sure what to do next.

"So, what do you guys want to do now?" Winter questioned the excited sisters. Ruby gasped, cupping her face with her hands and almost jumping up and down with excitement.

"Uncle Qrow, can we? Please, can we?" Ruby begged, giving her uncle the biggest pair of puppy dog eyes Winter had ever seen. Yang had a grin on her face and looked up at her uncle, waiting for his response.

"I don't know Ruby, you tried to bite me a few minutes ago. Yang, you kicked me in the ribs pretty hard, too" Qrow grumbled, but he was trying hard to hide his smile.

"The past is the past uncle Qrow, we've moved past it. Haven't we, Winter?" Yang asked in a confident tone.

"I think we have" Winter agreed, not sure what they were getting at.

"Alright then, fine. We can go" Qrow relented with a grin and a chuckle. Ruby started to jump up and down now, her eyes wide and her mouth hanging open with her fists clenched tight.

"So, what is it we're doing?" Winter asked, a little scared of what answer she was gonna get.

"We're getting-" Yang started, but then she was physically pushed out of the way by an over-excited Ruby.

"Ice cream!" The girl yelled so loud that bystanders turned to look again, she also made the three people closest to her winch in pain. Winter rubbed her ears but couldn't help letting out a laugh at how pumped Ruby was.

"Lead the way, Ruby" She gushed, making Rubys smile glow like a lightbulb before she shot down the road.

"We're in for a long day" Qrow sighed, scratching the back of his head and following Ruby with Yang in toe. Winter couldn't help but notice the smile that was still plastered on his face. _I wonder if he could ever tell them no,_ Winter thought to herself as she watched him walk. With a smile on her lips, she started to follow after the bizarre family in front of her.


	10. Chapter 10

Winter caught up with Yang and Qrow while they were halted at a crosswalk while Ruby was on the other side of the street bouncing up and down on her heels, looking back at them every few moments waiting for the light to turn.

"She knows she can't run too far ahead or we get to eat her ice cream. Or at least we can try to" Qrow explained, noticing Winters watchful eyes on Ruby. Qrow was casually leaning against the crosswalk pole, his eyes watching the people in their cars as they passed by. Yang looked about as concerned as Qrow that Ruby was so far away, but at least she spared her sister a glance now and then.

"What do you mean, try to?" Winter asked the two, only receiving a laugh in return, causing the few other people standing with them at the crosswalk to lazily look at them.

"Don't worry, you'll see" Yang assured her as the light changed and the crowd started to walk across the street. Winter expected Ruby to bolt the second they started to move, but she stayed put. Well, as stayed put as Ruby could be, that is.

When they reached her she kept bounced up and down, but that was it. When the sidewalk ahead of them was clear, Qrow lifted his arm and Ruby started bouncing even faster. "Three, two, one… Go!" Qrow slowly said, drawing out the words, before lightly tapping her head when he said go. She was halfway down the street in the blink of an eye.

"Wow, she's really fast" Winter gaped, Qrow and Yang were laughing at her shock.

"Yeah, she's impatient and hates waiting for us" Yang chuckled, watching Ruby turn a corner and disappear. Winter felt her heart skip a beat when Ruby left her field of view but kept her mouth glued shut.

"We keep telling her she should do track, but she says it's too boring" Qrow explained, his hand gliding back through his black hair, trying and to get it out of his face. Qrow caught her eye for a split millisecond, causing Winters' eyes to rocket away as fast as they could, hoping he didn't notice.

They turned a corner and Winter found herself in a part of the city she didn't even know existed. They were near the center of downtown, near a small open park that was mostly just grass and benches. The grassy fields were filled to the brim with families walking around eating ice cream, the sound of happy conversations and laughter filled her ears and brought a smile to Winters face.

"Oh good, she got us a place in line. Ruby, guard our spots with your life!" Yang called out, rushing over to join her sister and leaving Qrow and Winter in her dust.

Ruby was standing near the end of a long line that was sticking out of a small building just across the street from the park. It was a smile one-story building painted a crisp white, over the door were the words _Vale Sweets_, in bright red cursive that looked so vibrant Winter thought it could have been painted earlier that day.

"That was pretty smart, what you told them" Qrow smiled, his eyes watching Yang as she caught up to Ruby. "I didn't think they'd still be pissed, it's been over a year since they went to that moron of a doctor" his bitter tone made her feel uneasy, Qrow didn't seem like the type to get mad over nothing.

"What's that about, anyway?" Winter asked gently, trying her best not to sound pushy or forceful. Winter could see him clench his fists so hard his knuckles turned white. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to, I get it" Winter rushed, trying to calm him down.

Qrow took a deep breath and let out a long sigh before he talked, "No, if you're gonna be working with them, you should know why they don't like therapists, psychiatrists, or really anyone that gets paid to talk to someone" Winter turned and faced him, their eyes were locked onto one another.

"A while ago, they were-" Qrow started, but then a red ball of energy shot into his stomach, knocking him hard on his back. Qrow gasped for air on the ground, and Winter could only guess how much pain he was in. On top of him was Ruby, a big grin plastered on her face while her uncle looked like he had just been hit by a car. Winter couldn't help but notice how proud Ruby looked as she looked down at Qrow.

"Come on you two, we're about to get in the door!" Then, she was suddenly back up and running to her sister's side, getting a huge high five while Yang gave a deep belly laugh and pointed at her uncle.

Winter held out her hand and Qrow took it and started to pull himself up. His hands were rough and warm, she got the impression he spent a lot of time working with his hands. She couldn't help but smile to herself "Why me…" Qrow groaned in agony, slowly standing up with Winter's help. "I swear, that kid's gonna kill me one of these days" Qrow grumbled, limping over to the line. "I'll tell you later when we're alone"

Winter felt a bubbly feeling in her chest and wasn't sure if it was nerves for what she was gonna be told, or something else. "Come on, before she attacks you too" He smiled at her, waving her over.

"Right, coming" Winter called as she raced after him. _What's going on with me today?_ Winter thought to herself as she slid into line behind Qrow, trying her best to ignore the disapproving noises coming from the customers behind her.

Even for a late summer day, there were more people in line for ice cream than Winter would have thought and she couldn't help but wonder why.

Right outside the door was a small blackboard that had a list of flavors. After a moment she noticed that the flavors were a bit more exotic than she would have thought. There was Chunky Chocolate from Vacuo, Minstral Mango, and even a few flavors from Atlas! One, in particular, caught her eye and made her stomach growl in anticipation.

The inside of the store was simple, just a long stretch of ice cream flavors on display with a few wooden tables that were filled with people enjoying all kinds of sugary treats. The whole store smelled like sugar cones and chocolate syrup, and the air tasted so sweet it made her teeth ached ever so slightly. Under all of the talking and chaos from the customers and employees both, there was a constant hum coming from the freezers that was oddly comforting.

A few girls were moving frantically all over the store taking orders, wiping down tables, and doing everything you could think of. All of them were dressed in a white and red striped shirt with a red hat. The girls looked overwhelmed by just how many people were in the store, the only one that looked totally in control was a tall blonde woman with sharp glasses and a stern gaze behind the ice cream counter scooping treats at the speed of light. When their group walked up, her face broke into a warm smile.

"Ruby, Yang, back for more so soon? I could have sworn you just walked out my door" She chuckled already scooping out ice cream for them.

"We don't come here that much " Ruby laughed, but didn't look convinced. "Anyways, we made a new friend, so we're celebrating!" Ruby gushed, her face pressed tightly to the glass for a better look. For the first time, the women looked at Winter. It looked like this Goodwitch woman was scanning her from head to toe.

"Let me guess, finally settling down Qrow? About time" She said in a deadpan tone and looking at Qrow with the faintest hint of a smile.

Qrow burst out laughing, and Winter felt a small twitch in her stomach, "Me? Settle down with anyone other than you? That's ridiculous. Who else is gonna keep the red monsters sweet tooth satisfied?" Qrow questioned as he leaned on the case next to Yang, his hand landing on the girl's head. Yang tried to push his hand off, but he was too strong.

"Ruby, help! He's doing it again!" Ruby cried, trying to pull Qrows hand.

"I'm only eleven, what am I gonna do?" Ruby whined at her sister.

"Almost twelve! You gotta learn to fight him sooner or later!" Yang insisted, her sister leaving her to struggle.

"I could never marry you Qrow, first of all," Then she held up her left hand revealing a shimmering gold ring, "Second, Ruby would eat me out of a business if she got free ice cream" Then she heaved up a monstrosity of sugar in a bowl onto the counter. It was a mountain of ice cream of all different kinds of flavors overflowing with gummy worms, cookie chunks, chocolate, and caramel syrups, and probably every other topping you could legally put on ice cream. And on top, a single cherry.

"Oh my God" Winter gaped, mouth hanging open like a broken door.

"One Ruby special," Goodwitch said proudly handing the bowl down to Ruby. Winter watched the girl grab a spoon and dig into with more passion and speed than Winter had ever put into anything in her entire life. "So, is anyone gonna introduce me or not?" She asked to anyone in particular.

"That's Winter, our new friend" Yang said simply, grabbing a yellow cone from Goodwitch.

"They helped me out a few days ago and fixed my car, and somehow we ended up here" Winter smiled, "My name's Winter"

"Schnee?" Goodwitches eyes snapped up to her, her hands frozen for the first time since they arrived.

"Yes," Winter hesitated out. If they were gonna find out who she was, then it was best to just get it over with. Goodwitch looked at her for a second in silence, scanning her again, before her eyes left her and looked at Qrow, Yang, and Ruby, none of them even looking at the two women talking.

"Sounds familiar. I'm Glynda Goodwitch, owner of Vale Sweets. If you are gonna be their friend, you better treat them right. Girls that sweet deserve the best" Glynda had a deadly serious edge to her voice that made Winter gulp.

"I couldn't agree more," Winter said her eyes moving to watch Ruby try and lick her uncle's hand while Yang tried to yank off the hand, Qrow was laughing and switching hands. Winter felt a calm role over her looking over them, a smile blooming on her lips.

"Glad to hear it" Glynda gave her a small smile that spoke volumes, "Now what can I get you?"


	11. Chapter 11

The shining sun was washing over the park without a cloud in the sky. Families were laying down on blankets having fun, kids were running around playing games, couples were holding hands and basking in each other's presence. All in all, it looked like a perfect late summer day.

Even in Atlas, where the summers weren't the warmest, Winter still had plenty of memories of her mom, Weiss, and her walking around a park eating ice cream, just like this. Winter remembered the time Weiss slipped on a patch of ice and sent her ice cream flying. Winter watched her mom dry Weiss's tears and plop a spoonful of her ice cream into Weiss' trembling lips, watched the sadness evaporate from her sister's face. Her heart started to ache the more she thought about it.

"Winter, you ok?" Her eyes snapped up from her ice cream and looked around, not sure who had snapped her out of the past. "You're being quiet, what's up?" Qrow asked with a look of concern on his face, sticking a spoonful of his Vacuo Chunky Chocolate in his mouth.

"I'm fine, just been a while since I've had this, ya know?" Winter held up her small cup of white ice cream up, spoon still in the same place Glynda had stuck it.

"What even is that?" Qrow questioned, turning and walking backward but still facing her, spoon still in his mouth.

"Atlas Vanilla. Ever heard of it?" Winter asked, looking to make sure Qrow wasn't gonna hit anything. The closest thing to him though was Ruby and Yang, who were joking and laughing about something or other.

"Isn't it that weird flavor that nobody outside of Atlas likes?"

"I haven't heard that before, but it's a good thing I'm from there then" Winter laughed, finally pulling the spoon out of the ice cream. "Wanna try it?" She asked, holding the spoon out for him to take. He took it out of her hand slowly, staring at it like it was something out of a horror movie. "It won't bite. Promise"

He smelled it, then shrugged, popping the spoon in his mouth next to his own. His face contorted as he had just eaten a lemon, but at least he didn't spit it out.

"It's not that bad!" Winter laughed as he slowly took the spoon out.

"It's so salty! You like that?" He asked, stabbing the spoon back into her cup.

"Nope, I love it" She took a big scoop and ate it with a smile on her face. The taste brought Winter back home to her mom again, to late nights under the stars curled up in blankets with Weiss, and a thousand other moments.

"Meh, I don't see the appeal. Ice cream should be sweet, ya know? So why try and over complicate it with something like salt?" Qrow shrugged, still walking backward. Winter watched him curiously, his eyes were closed and he had a relaxed look about him that a guy walking backward probably shouldn't have.

Movement on the other side of Qrow caught her attention. The sisters had stopped moving and were watching a group of five or six kids kick around a soccer ball back and forth. Ruby was watching them move, she moved ever so slightly, like she was about to walk over, but then planted her foot again softly. Yang just stood with an unreadable expression over her face.

Qrow turned around to follow her gaze, his feet stopping when his eyes found the girls. "Should we say something?" He asked uncertainly pacing side to side, acting like a dog at the end of his leash. Winter watched how transfixed they were like they were being hypnotized.

"I think I'll go say something, could you stay back for a second?" She asked walking up to him and giving him a sad smile. All the energy drained from him in an instant, his legs slowly dying until they were still, his strained face relaxing into a look of light shock and almost hurt.

"You sure?" sounding like he was waiting for her to say she was joking.

"Yeah, I'm gonna try talking to them one on one and see what they say" Winter explained, turning to him. She felt off when she looked at him like she was intruding into their world like she didn't belong. When she looked into Qrows eyes she didn't see a man staring back at her. She saw a massive wolf that was watching her every move, knowing if she made one bad move towards his pups, she would be torn to shreds in an instant.

When she blinked, the wolf was gone and the man was back, but his eyes still had the same look them. "Qrow" She started, staring back at the beast with as much confidence as she could muster, "Trust me" Winter felt her heartbeat like prey, the unease in her stomach worse than ever. His gaze was hard, but when he took a breath it seemed like his eyes softened.

"Alright then. Go and earn your paycheck" He chuckled softly, forcing a small smile that didn't reach his eyes. He turned and walked away, looking up a nearby tree and walking around it for some reason. Winter could see his ever-watchful eyes glancing up at her frequently.

Ruby and Yang were still watching the other kids playing. "Alight, Winter, let's go… Three, two, one" She whispered under her breath before she started to walk, her mind still whirling around trying to find the right words.

As Winter walked up to the girls, they still didn't pay her any mind, just watching the game like it was a t.v. show. "Do you wanna go play with them?" She asked them both quietly, turning to watch the game with them. A boy with the long black hair stole the ball from a bigger boy with dark skin and short black hair. Yang spoke first.

"No, just watching. Besides, you guys probably wanna get going" Yang explained quietly, shoving her hands into her pockets and looking up at Winter.

"We don't have anywhere to be. Besides, Qrow looks like he's getting comfortable" Winter pointed at Qrow who was climbing up the trees low branches.

"Probably trying to find a better seat," Ruby said, turning to look too. "Those branches look pretty comfortable" She added, probably thinking about going to join her uncles' search, but Winter hoped she wouldn't just yet.

"I think you're right. So I think you guys have time to play, they look like they need some more numbers. You can't play a good game of soccer with just six people" Winter commented, knowing that she'd never played a game of soccer in her life.

"You think so?" Ruby asked sheepishly, but her eyes were wide. Yang stayed silent, looking at the kids playing before looking down at Ruby whos feet were still planted firmly in the ground.

It was a quick motion, but Winter had looked at just the right time to catch it. Winter watched as in the blink of an eye Yang had a beaming smile on her face and was suddenly full of energy.

"Of course they need more people! Don't you wanna help them out, Ruby!" Yang asked excitedly, her hands on her hips. Ruby didn't look convinced, looking at the ground and slowly swirling her feet in the grass like a paintbrush on a canvas.

"I don't know, Yang. They look like they're having a good time without us" Ruby countered quietly like the idea was already dead in her mind.

"But you that just means that they could be having an even better time with you! Come on Rubes, let's go!" Yang encouraged, starting to run at the group of kids. Ruby hesitated before looking at Winter.

"Do you wanna go?" Winter asked gently like she was talking to a sleeping baby.

"Yeah, a little" Ruby admitted, like she shouldn't be feeling that way. Winter kneeled so she was eye level with the small preteen and tried her best to copy the looks her mom used to give her when she was nervous.

"Can I give you some advice?" Winter asked. Ruby looked up at her and nodded. "Whenever I get nervous or scared or anything, which is all the time, by the way, I count down from three. Then when I get past one, I go. I don't think, I just do it"

"You do that? It helps?" Ruby wondered, looking just as hopeful as she was scared.

"All the time. Wanna give it a try?"

Ruby hesitated like she wanted to just go and hide up the tree with her uncle. But Winter saw the resolve form in the silver pool of her eyes. "Three, two… One" She shakily said, and right after she said one she ran off to join Yang who was already introducing herself to the other kids.

Winter watched as they got introduced and started to play. Ruby was quick, Yang was tough, and the other kids looked like they took to them pretty fast. Winter's eyes followed Yang's blonde mane as she ran up and down the grass, curiosity growing inside of her.

She walked over to Qrow who was sitting on a tree branch a few feet above Winter's head, but he climbed down a few branches when he noticed her.

"You do have a way with those kids" He insisted, wonder in his voice.

"That wasn't me" Winter turned to face Qrow. He was resting his head in his hand and looking down at her with a raised eyebrow.

"How do you mean?"

"It was Yang, she was the reason Ruby had the confidence to go out there at all. I just gave Ruby a little push is all" Winter explained, "Can you please come down from there? It's really weird to talk to you like this" Winter joked looking up at him.

"Nah, you can come up here if ya want though"

"Have it your way then" Winter chuckled as she looked up at the branches and Qrow longing among them. She grabbed a branch and tried to pull herself up, but barely got an inch off the ground.

"Come on, put some effort into it" Qrow quipped, laughing at her struggle.

"Not all of us grew up climbing trees you know" Winter huffed, getting a little higher as she tried to pull herself up again.

"Wait, you've never climbed a tree before?" Qrow asked, leaning forward to look down at her. Winter blushed, and it wasn't because of how hard her arms were working.

"Doesn't matter" Winter murmured quickly, "What does matter is Yang. She'd do anything for Ruby, wouldn't she?"

"That's an understatement. Ruby's her everything" Winter felt like she was gonna be sick with worry thinking about Yang, knowing where she had to start.

"Someone help! She's hurt!" the boy with long black hair yelled as most of the other kids stood still in fear. On the ground was a small red ball.

"Ruby!" Qrow growled, and in an instant, he was out of the tree and in an all-out sprint to his pup.


	12. Chapter 12

Qrow was on the kids in a matter of seconds, kneeling over the shivering red shape that was his niece. When Winter reached the group of kids Yang and the boy with long black hair were talking to Qrow so fast she couldn't understand what either of them was saying and doubted Qrow could either. "Alright, everyone quiet!" She snapped a bit louder than she wanted. Everyone's mouths stopped moving at least. "Yang, what happened?" Winter asked, quickly looking over Ruby.

Ruby was on the ground, blood pouring down her nose and staining her shirt, she was ghostly pale, shivering, wide-eyed, and didn't look like she could move. She turned around and nodded at Yang, "She got hit in the face! That guy kicked the ball too hard and it smashed right into her!" Yang's face was contorted in rage, her usually beautiful lilac eyes almost looked like burning coals, there were tears in her eyes and her hands were shaking badly.

"Alright, Now, what were you saying- I'm sorry, what's your name?" Winter asked the boy who was standing by Yang. He was trying to stay calm, but his eyes were flicking fast between Ruby, Qrow, Yang, and Winter.

"I'm Lie Ren" His voice was as shaky as Yang's hands. "And Yatsuhashi didn't mean to hit her, it was an accident. He was trying to pass to me" He explained looking at Yang, who scowled at Ren. Then, Yang turned to Yatsuhashi. The boy was a lot bigger than her, but he cowered under her burning gaze, backing away slowly even though he was a few feet away already. "She got hit in the face. I went to check on her and she seemed fine, then she froze up and her legs looked like they gave out" Ren sounded more panicked with every word out of his mouth, talking quickly and breathing faster and faster.

"So she didn't fall when the ball hit her?" Winter asked

"No, I even thought I heard her laughing a little when I walked over" Ren looked down at Ruby and got quiet. Winter turned away from Ruby and kneeled, putting her hands on Ren's shoulders gently. He looked up at her, snapping away from Ruby.

"Ren, this was an accident. Nobody's mad, and we're gonna get Ruby some help, ok? You don't have anything to worry about" Winter froze, looking down at her hands. "Ren, when you checked up on Ruby, did you happen to touch her?" Winter questioned softly, casting a glance back at Ruby.

"Maybe? I think so. Why? Does it matter?" Qrow heard his response and gave a loud sigh.

"I haven't seen her this bad in a while, I thought she was getting over it," He said quietly as he sat down in the grass and rubbed his eyes with his hands. "Yang, do you have Rubys toys?" He asked her with his hands still in his face.

"Never leave home without them," Yang declared, walking over to Ruby and pulling something out of her pocket and putting them in her sisters' hands. It looked like the shaking in Yang's hands had gone away and her eyes looked red but dry.

"What's wrong with her? She's gonna be ok, right?" Ren pleaded, still not sure what was going on.

"Ren, Ruby is someone who doesn't like being touched. She's gonna be fine. You couldn't have known" Winter explained slowly and clearly, but it didn't seem to help with his confusion.

"Something like that can happen just by touching her? I'm so sorry" His eyes looked like they had dulled as he looked at the ground while his shoulders slouched. Winter tapped his chin with her finger, making him look up at her again.

"Like I said, you couldn't have known, Ren. Nobody got hurt, and everything fine. Don't go blaming yourself an accident like this, ok? Everythings gonna be fine" Winter implored him to believe her. His shoulders straightened a bit and his eyes looked over to Yang.

He looked at Winter and smiled it was small, but Winter stood up and returned the favor. Then he walked over to Yang and the two of them started to talk. Yang ended up giving him a big hug while and patter her back awkwardly.

Winter turned to Qrow and Ruby. Qrow looked like he had aged ten years in the last few minutes. The lines on his face, that usually weren't even there, were clear as day. Winter sat down next to him, the grass felt nice on her fingers, relaxing some of the tension out of her body. "It's been this bad before?" Winter questioned, remembering how Ruby reacted to her touch. It hadn't even been half this bad.

"Yeah. I would brush her arm in the hall or something and she would freeze up like this. Her legs only gave out once or twice when it was really bad. It hasn't been like this in over a year" Qrow sounded like a man who was lost, with no idea where to go anymore.

"It was probably al of the stress of today, it would be a lot for anyone" Winter was eying him as she talked, but he only managed a nod.

Ruby moved her hands together and started to twist them. That's when Winter noticed what she was holding. The 'toys' she was holding were a screw and a bolt. She was screwing the bolt-on and off over and over again, gaining a little bit of speed with each movement. Her fingers were tarnished by black grease, and Winter could smell from where she was sitting.

Ruby sat up slowly, still twisting the bolt. She was pale, breathing deep and slow, slouched over, and looked like she was about to pass out. She held the screw and bolt in her left hand touched the sticky blook under her nose with her right. The bleeding had stopped, but the blood wasn't dry yet. "I blocked the pass to Ren at least" Ruby giggled up at the two of them, it was weak but full of spirit.

Yang walked over with Ren and the tall boy, Yatsuhashi, trailing behind her. Winter noticed a few of the other kids behind those two, but they were all a few feet back and were looking everywhere but at Ruby.

"Ruby, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hit you, it was an accident" Yatsuhashi mumbled, almost like he was talking to himself. But Ruby kept smiling.

"I got in the way of that pass on purpose, Yatsuhashi, I was trying to block Ren since he's so quick! My nose didn't even hurt much, so don't worry about it" Yatsuhashi smiled at Ruby, grateful she wasn't angry.

"I'm sorry too, I had no idea you didn't like being touched" Ren gave a small bow, apologizing again under his breath. Yatsuhashi looked at Ren, then gave a sloppy bow himself.

"Don't worry about it. It's happened tons of times, today was just a bad day is all. Just don't tell Nora, ok? She worries about me and I know you two are close" Ren looked up, puzzled at the mention of the name.

"You know Norra?" He looked like someone had just splashed cold water on his face.

"Course! I have a few classes with her and she waked me up when I fall asleep! She's always so nice!" Ruby gushed excitedly, "I've seen you two together a lot so don't tell her, please?" Ruby pleaded again, doing the puppy dog eyes that always worked so well on her uncle.

"I didn't know we went to the same school. I guess I won't say anything to her unless she asks. She can get scary when she wants to"

"Right! She almost fought these two girls the last week of class for saying something about my outfit" Ruby laughed, and Ren joined her.

"I hope we have some classes together when school gets back in session" Ren smiled at Ruby.

"I hope so too! I hope you're with us too, Yatsuhashi!" The four kids talked for a few more minutes before the guys had to leave, Ruby and Yang waving them off with big smiles on their faces. Ruby down while everyone else was waving, but Winter was watching her. She had a small smile on her face as she grabbed her shirt and said something so quietly Winter could barely hear her, "I think I made some new friends"

-Authors note-

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you guys are having a good holiday, and hope you enjoy these latest chapters! I just wanted to thank everyone and anyone who's reading this story still, it really means a lot! Also thanks to everyone who's commented on these chapters, including Daring-Moon, Timrocks99, Steelrain66, and anyone else who has! It's hard to really know what people like or don't like, so any comments really mean a lot. Anyway, hope you enjoy!


	13. Chapter 13

"Well, I think it's time we called it a night" Qrow sighed as he stood up.

"I think that's a good idea. A lot of excitement today" Winter agreed with a smile on her face after watching Ruby and Yang make two new friends.

"But we're having fun!" Ruby whined, waving her arms as the rest of them started to walk back to Winter's work.

"You froze up, dork" Yang laughed looking back at her sister.

"Yeah, but before and after was fun!" Ruby insisted, "Plus, we got ice cream! So I count today as a win!"

Winter was glad Ruby didn't run ahead this time, especially since the sun was starting to get low in the sky. When they got close to Winters building Ruby gasped and slapped her legs in excitement, drawing everyone's attention.

"Winter should come to family game night!" Ruby the words tumbled out of her mouth so fast Winter didn't understand them. Yang and Qrow did though.

"That's an awesome idea! She'd love it!" Yang jumped in excitement and turned to their uncle, "Come on Uncle Qrow, don't you think so!" Both of the sisters were giving him the most intense puppy dog eyes Winter had ever seen.

"Wait, what?" Winter asked nobody in particular, all three of them were in their own little bubble.

"I don't think that's a good idea. Isn't family game night supposed to be just, ya know, _family_?" Qrow emphasized the word family, raising an eyebrow.

"Winters our friend, so that makes her family" Ruby stated simply, hands on her hips like that was all that needed to be said.

"Plus it's always just the four of us playing the same games, a new person would be fun!" Yang explained. Winter couldn't help but notice the word four. _Who else do they play with?_ She asked herself.

"Do you guys not like family game night then?" Qrow protested, sounding hurt.

"It's not that, we love family game night" Ruby started.

"But having someone new would be fun!" Yang finished with a grin. After that, the two of them started to ramble and plead listing things they'd do if Qrow let her come.

Qrow sighed and put his hand through his hair, "Are you two sure about this?" He asked them both seriously, the two of them nodding before he was even done talking. Qrow looked up to Winter now and coughed into his fist, looking away. "We have a family game night every few weeks, and Ruby and Yang wanted to know if you'd come to the next one. If you have plans or don't want to or anything, you don't have to" Qrow had a small blush on his cheeks that Winter couldn't help but giggle at.

"I don't have anything going on other than work, so I think I could squeeze it into my schedule" She chuckled watching the girls jump up and down, squealing and fist-pumping. Qrow looked a bit red, a hint of a smile on his face.

"Alright, you two go sit in the truck, I gotta talk to Winter about some stuff" Qrow pointed to the truck that was up the street.

"Like what?" Ruby asked innocently.

"They're gonna talk about us, Ruby" Yang laughed as she started to walk to the truck. Ruby gasped and stared at the two of them.

"That's not fun! Remember, the no therapy rule! Even for Uncle Qrow!" Ruby chirped as she followed Yang, looking back at them every few steps.

"I never agreed to that" Qrow called out, before they heard the doors to the truck close.

"Sorry about that, but they weren't gonna stop until I asked you. They get like that a lot, like when they want pizza or something. I could come up with some excuse for you if you want, by the way, they'd understand." Qrow shrugged his shoulders, but Winter laughed.

"I do wanna go though, it sounds fun" Winter smiled at him, but he looked suspicious.

"Really? Spending a night with a teenager, a preteen, and a random guy sounds like a fun night to you?" He asked curiously.

"Well, I wouldn't exactly call you a random guy anymore. More like an acquaintance" Winter said after a moment of thought.

"Acquaintance? Well, you're still just a random chick to me" He winked at her, and Winter couldn't help but chuckle at him.

"That hurts Blackbird. We'll see how you feel about that after game night. I think you'll call me your worst nightmare after I win " She tried her best to sound cocky, but it sounded less cool and more silly then she wanted to. Qrow laughed at her and she started to blush, glad it was getting too dark for him to see.

"Qrow, what were you gonna tell me? Before Ruby ran you over I mean" the though had been in the back of Winter's mind since he had brought it up. Qrows laugh faded quickly and the joy left his eyes and was replaced with anger.

"A few years ago, Ruby and Yang were in a bad spot. They had to see this one therapist, some moron named Dr.Lionheart. They talked to him and opened up to him, told him stuff that they hadn't told anyone else I guess. They trusted him, hoped he would help them out, but he told them it was 'Just their imagination' and ignored them. Life got a lot harder after that for them. A lot harder. One of the few grudges I've ever seen Yang or Ruby hold"

Qrow got quiet and looked up at the sky. The sound of honking horns and the sound of other people passing them in the street faded away. The street lights hadn't come on yet and the crimson red of the sunset illuminated Qrows face. "I wasn't around, but I shoulda been. I messed up Winter"

His face looked clear as his gaze dissected the darkening sky. No hints of anger, only guilt. "But that doesn't matter anymore" His eyes fell from the clouds and landed on her with a smile that looked like it belonged to a dead man.

"Qrow, you can't blame yourself for what happened. I'm sure you did all you could" Winter tried to convince him, but he wasn't listening anymore. Winter wanted to talk more about him, to try and get him to see her point of view but now wasn't the time for that. Right now, she felt her curiosity start to burn after hearing some of the story.

"What was the bad spot they were in? How did it get worse?" Winter wasn't sure if she should ask, wasn't sure if she wanted the answer, but she felt like she had to.

Qrow shook his head though, "I promised them I'd never tell anyone. I know it's childish, but I'll never break a promise, especially to those two. They'd never forgive me" His voice was hollow, he sounded like he wanted to talk but something was holding him back.

"Qrow, I'm trying to help them. You can tell me"

"No, I can't. Convince them to tell you, but I can't. I'm sorry" Qrow sounded sad, and he wasn't looking at her anymore. Winter was annoyed at him, her knowing what she was dealing with is part of her job. But at the same time…

"I get it. If my sister asked me to keep something secret I would take it with me to my grave" Winter admitted, "I'd even hide it from her therapist" Winter gave him a small smile. He turned to look at her, his face was full of gratitude.

"Speaking of that, what's the damage gonna be for this?"

"What do you mean?" Winter looked at him like he had grown two heads.

"For all this. Helping them, you know what I mean. How much do I owe you?" Qrow asked pulling out a checkbook from his back pocket and a pen from somewhere. "I'm not sure what your rates are, so just tell me how much" He leaned over and started to fill out the check on his leg.

Winter was shocked, to say the least. She had forgotten that this was work, that she was supposed to be getting paid. "Qrow, what did I tell you before?" He didn't look up from the paper.

"You said whatever I could afford, but I'll give you as much as you want" Qrow looked up at her determined. Winter thought for a second, tapping her chin while he waited for a number to write.

"A million dollars" She decided on, smiling down at him. He was already filling out the check.

"It'll take me a bit to get the money, but I have some people who can help" He explained, adding a few zeros.

"Qrow, I'm kidding!" Winter shrieked, ripping the pen away from his hand before he could sign it. "Don't worry about it, I'll do it for free!" Winter explained when he tried to take the pen back from her.

"I can't ask you to do that, Winter. You're a therapist, I owe you for your time. Now, how much?" He sounded serious, holding his hand out for the pen.

"I'm not asking you to, I'm insisting. I'll do it pro bono."

"Pro- what?" He asked with a contorted face like he'd just taken another bite of Atlas Vanilla.

"Free. I'll do it for free to help you guys out. I like these girls and they need help. So let me help them, please" Winter didn't want to beg, but she would if it meant she could help these girls. "Besides, I promised them I'd be their friend" Winter smiled at him, putting the pen in his hand slowly. "And I don't charge my friends"

Qrow looked up at her, an uncertain look in his eyes. But then he smiled at her and took the pen, pocketing it and the book. "Fine, friends then" He held out his pinky to her.

"Friends" She beamed, shaking his pinky as she had with Ruby and Yang.

"Alright Snowflake, have it your way then. But if you ever need anything, call me first" He said, starting to walk to the truck. Winter followed but only took a few steps before she had to ask.

"Were you about to pay me a million dollars for getting ice cream with you guys?"

"I was hoping it was a million in total, but yeah, pretty much" He shrugged like it was the most normal thing in the world.

"You're a weird guy, Qrow" She smiled at him and he smiled back.

"Not as weird as those two" He pointed his thumb to the truck where the girls were pressed up against the windows trying to get a better look at the two of them. "See you next week, Snowflake" He waved as he got in the truck and started it up.

"Later, Blackbird" She waved goodbye, then the windows opened up and Ruby and Yang popped out of them.

"Bye Winter! See you soon! Thanks!" Winter wasn't sure which one was saying what, but they were both waving and talking fast and loudly as they drove away. Winter smiled, a light feeling in her stomach as she walked to the parking garage for her car.


	14. Chapter 14

-Authors note-

So last week I uploaded chapter 13 and sort of messed up. I accidentally forgot to put in the name of the doctor Qrow was talking about, and then put in the wrong name. The doctor's name was for anyone that missed it. Thank you to Timrocks99 and GoldElite245 for pointing this out to me, it meant a lot you two went out of your way to let me know! Anyway, hope you enjoy this week's chapters!

Tuesday wasn't Winters finest hour. When she rolled out of bed, the honking outside of her window was worse than ever and it made her blood run hot. The traffic had been louder than gunfire and had kept her up most of the night, and when she did find sleep, it wasn't exactly pleasant. It was filled with images of Weiss screaming and Winter sitting in her apartment, totally oblivious.

She went to the bathroom and found a gremlin looking back at her, with bags under her bloodshot eyes. Drudging off to the kitchen for some food brought another fun surprise, she was running low on food. "What the hell" Winter spat through gritted teeth, slamming the fridge door.

Winter got dressed followed by a light breakfast that consisted of a single egg on a slice of toast. The rest of her morning was spent caking her face in a thick layer of makeup to try and look even a little bit normal. Oh, and trying to force her hair back into a bun of course.

Needless to say, she wasn't in the best mood when she walked into the elevator. But it got even worse when the doors opened on the ground floor to reveal Tyrian Callows standing right in front of her.

Winter jumped about a foot in the air and let out a small yelp of surprise, but Tyrian smiled like he hadn't even noticed. "Winter, how wonderful to see you! I was hoping I'd run into you again soon!" He shot her a crooked grin as he folded his arms behind his back and stepped into the elevator.

"Sorry, Tyrion, can't talk, running late for work" Winter wasn't even lying, she was running behind. But for Winter, on-time meant she got there early, and late meant she got there at the same time as everyone else. But Tyrion didn't need to know that.

His smile fell for a fraction of a second before it came running back to his face, "Maybe I could give you a ride to work? Don't want you to be late now, do we?" He asked taking another step towards her, getting too close for comfort, before leaning forward enough so she had to lean away.

"No thanks, I have my own car" She countered, quickly sliding between him and the elevator wall before taking a step out of the door, discretely hitting the third-floor button as she left the threshold of the elevator.

The door started to close and his smile fell, and he looked angry at her, though he was trying to look relaxed. He tried to smile, the result was a terrifying face that reminded Winter of a deranged clown. "Next time, then" was all he managed to get out before the doors slammed shut, blocking him from Winter.

She took a deep breath before walking away. "Nice one" She heard from behind her. She turned to see Earl looking up at her, puzzle book still in his hand and a smile on his face. Winter smiled back at him warmly.

"Thanks, Earl, I try" Winter was glad she had someone to keep a lookout for her.

As Winter was driving to work, she passed by all the same buildings she had the past two days, but something felt off. For some reason, she had a steel ball sitting in the pit of her stomach, and she couldn't place why. Then she passed a group of kids playing, and a thought hit her that she hadn't considered before… she had bailed on one of her patients without a word to and then left for the day to get ice cream. She hadn't told anyone anything specific, and she hadn't heard anything back yet. That didn't mean anything good.

Winter's mouth filled with saliva as her stomach lurched, and her small breakfast almost jumped out of her mouth. _What if fires me? I just left! Why would I do that! How can I help Weiss without a job? How will I pay for food if I get fired! _Winter's mind felt like a ball of yarn unraveling all at once, with every bad thought leading to worse thoughts. Her train of thought eventually crashed into the piercing blue eyes of her father.

Winter put her car in park and tried to turn the key off, but her hand was too weak and shakey. She had to use both hands to twist the key out. She looked at herself in the mirror and didn't recognize who was looking back at her. Her skin was as gray as a week-old corpse, and it looked like the makeup she put on that morning had made it worse. She got out of the car slowly before starting to walk on shaky legs.

She double-checked her phone to see if or Amy had called her at any point, but didn't see any messages. The elevator ride up left enough time for all of her thoughts to settle in her mind like sand in a lake. They didn't go away, but they had stopped swirling around chaotically in her mind. Now they were just an ever-present feeling of dread, shame, and guilt. When the elevator dinged and started to open, Winter felt like she'd reached the end of the line.

She walked out with her hand on the wall for support and wasn't shocked to see the waiting room empty except for the redhead sitting behind the reception desk. Amy looked up at the sound of the elevator closing, her face smiling on instinct before it dropped at the sight of Winter. "Hey Winter, how are you doing? You look a little green" Amy pointed out worriedly, standing up behind the counter.

"I'm fine Amy, didn't get a lot of sleep is all, no need to get up" Winter insisted, forcing herself to stand upright without the wall, hardly keeping a small smile on her face.

"If you're sure, hun… Well, you got a few appointments today. They won't be here until noon though, so if you want you can go and rest in your office" Amy's eyes didn't leave Winter as she slowly sat back down in her computer chair like she was expecting her to get pushed over by a light breeze.

Winter stood there waiting for her to say something about her sudden exit yesterday, but it never came. Amy kept looking at Winter, turning now and then to type something on her computer but always returning to Winter. "You sure everything's ok?"

"Yes No. Amy, when's supposed to be in?" Winter eventually got out, wanting to know when exactly her doom was coming.

"Oh, he's back there now. Oh, that reminds me! He wanted to talk to you about something this morning! Perfect, you can head back there now if you like"

Winter felt her heart drop. Without another word Winter felt her legs carrier her back towards , her mind was completely blank while she walked. She could have been walked over broken glass that was lit on fire and she wouldn't have noticed.

Winter felt like Jaune standing in front of door, her tight fist heavy at her side. "Three, two, one" She whispered before she heard her fist tapping lightly on the wood.


	15. Chapter 15

"You can come in, Winter," Said a low voice from behind the door. He wasn't loud, but Winter flinched when she heard him speak. She opened the door slowly like she was afraid it was about to fall off its hinges.

This was the first time Winter had been in office, and it was almost exactly what she pictured. His desk was a large dark stained oak that eas like hers, but a few shades darker and a bit bigger. He had a large window behind him as well that had a view of the city that was as breathtaking as her own office. A big sofa that was a deep black leather and a matching chair took up a big middle chunk of the office. There were a few degrees framed on the wall, and all of the papers on his desk seemed to be at a ninety-degree angle. Just like she pictured. Then, there was everything else.

Sloppily drawn crayon drawings were all over the office, some of them were taped up on the windows, some were hanging up in frames. He had an open toy chest that was overflowing with new and old toys alike, putting her mismatched box to shame. There were also two state of the art looking beanbags if those were even a thing, they both looked well used.

sat behind his desk, his eyes were on Winters the moment the door was open. Winter looked into his eyes, and for a single instant they weren't his normal dark brown, she could have sworn they were a sharp icy blue. They were back to normal before she could think about it too much, thankfully, but the sight of those all too familiar eyes shook her to her core, making her shiver even worse than before.

Now that Winter was looking at his eyes, there was no escape. They were glued to him with no hope of freedom. "Please, have a seat," He said, waving to the two chairs in front of his desk.

"How did you know it was me, Sir?" Winter's voice trembled as she sat down, glad she could finally stop using her wobbly legs.

"You've been early Monday and Sunday, so imagined the pattern would continue today, and the only other person who I would expect to come in here for the next few hours is Amy. She always walks in without any warning" She was surprised he's picked up on her habit so quickly, but at the same time, he didn't seem like the type to miss small details.

"So, what did you want to talk to me about?" Winter gulped after a moment of silence. She already knew the answer but didn't want to wait for him to bring it up. Her hands were clasped together so tightly her knuckles hurt, she also started to twidling her thumbs together, glad her hands were too low under the table for to see. "What did you think of Jaune and Mercury?" He asked leaning forward over his desk.

"What do you mean?"

"Jaune and Mercury, what did you think of them? Were they nice, mean, interesting? What's your professional opinion on them?" Winter wasn't sure what answer he was looking for, what she could say to help herself, so she just decided to be honest.

"They were good. Jaune just needs a bit confidence while Mercury has so much anger. But they both seemed like good kids, they just need a bit of help I think. Sir." Winter stuttered when she talked so it came out a bit choppy, but seemed to get the message.

"They didn't overwhelm you or anything? I've worked a little with them both, and they seem like they'll be tough to get to. Jaune had trouble saying his name while Mercury didn't seem to listen to a word I had to say. Interesting kids" didn't sound angry or anything, he genuinely sounded interested.

"Not too overwhelmed, Sir. Just a little weird at the start. It was my first time talking with patients one on one, Sir" Winter tried her best to only say the facts like she was giving a report.

"That's good. I would have briefed you about them beforehand, but something came up, sorry about that. Now, do you have any questions?" Winter was now thoroughly stumped as to what was going on. _Why isn't he mad with me?_

"I don't think so" Winter wasn't sure what to say anymore.

"Alright then, glad to hear you're doing well. I'll let you get back to your office then" He said with a small smile and a nod before turning to his computer to type. Winter looked at him working, transfixed.

"That's all?" Winter blurted out, blushing after she realized what she'd said. looked up at her curiously.

"Is there anything else you wanted to talk about?" He had stopped working and turned towards her again.

"Sir, aren't you… Upset with me?" He looked lost.

"Winter, why would I have any reason to be upset with you?"

_Maybe because I left work in the middle of the day for no reason, canceled my third ever appointment with no notice, and went out t get ice cream? _Winter's mind was churning out reasons like cars off an assembly line that was perfectly in sync reasons, her guilt swelling inside of her like a balloon.

"Because I left work yesterday" Winter finally admitted, wanting him to fire her and get it over with.

"Ah, Amy said you had something important to take care of, correct?" Winter felt her throat tighten up and felt the water at the corner of her eyes, she tried her best to blink them away before he noticed.

"Yes, Sir"

"And was it important?"

Winter thought of Ruby, Yang, and Qrow. Sure they had gotten ice cream and went for a walk, but she learned a lot about all of them out there, and wouldn't have if she had stayed in the office. They might never have spoken to her again if she had stayed up there. "Yes, Sir, very important" her eyes hardened at the memory, knowing she was right.

"Alright then. I believe you" smiled lightly at her.

"Y-you aren't mad at me?" Winter asked, totally dumbfounded.

"No, I'm not mad at you. Things come up, especially in our line of work. If you say it was important, I trust you. If you feel like talking to me about why you can, but I don't need to know if you aren't comfortable. Try not to do it every week though, then Amy will start copying you" He chuckled softly.

Winter felt odd. Sort of numb, but also airy and weightless. "So I can still work here?"

"Of course" He maintained.

"Thank you , thank you so much," Winter thought about what she should tell him if anything. If she told him, he might charge Qrow a little bit more than the nothing she'd promised… "Sir, yesterday I went to talk to some kids I wanted to do pro bono work for" Winter stated firmly. This piqued his interest, causing him to look at her curiously.

"Usually people apply for pro bono through the office. How'd you find these people?" Winter looked away and blushed lightly.

"Um, my car died in the middle of nowhere and two young girls fixed it while their uncle watched" Winter admitted quietly, hoping he believed her. He looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"The two girls fixed your car, so you're treating them as a favor?"

"Well an eleven-year-old fixed my car, the rest of us watched. They also made me promise them I wasn't going to be their therapist, so now I'm their friend and I'm trying to help them" Winter explained, sounding more insane with every word she spoke. Now her face was burning hot and it was impossible to look at .

"Looks like you found some interesting friends" started to laugh harder then she thought possible, a big smile on his face while he belly laughed. "As long as you feel safe, you can keep helping them. Make sure they send in the right forms to the office, so we know the details" was starting to come down from his laughter, wiping the water from his eyes.

"Of course, Sir" Winter smiled, her guilt deflating rapidly.

"You should get back to your office, your first appointment will be here soon" he eyed her with his smile still on his lips, like she was entertaining in some way.

"Thank you again, " Winter nodded before walking out the door without another word.

Winter walked right past her office door and took a turn down the hall. She ended up knocking on a door that had a small stick woman on it. When nobody answered she walked in, locking the door behind her and turning on the sink. Then she kneeled in front of the toilet and lifted the seat, before promptly tossing her cookies. Then again. And again. And again.

Winter leaned against the wall with her legs sprawled out and her arms limp at her side. She took deep, slow breaths, listening to the sink run. Her eyes were closed and she felt like she could fall asleep right there. She thought about how had those piercing blue eyes for a moment and chuckled to herself. _He's nothing like father,_ was the only thing that came to her mind.

After a few minutes of rest, she forced herself up, washed out her mouth, then walked out of the bathroom making sure it was as nice as she left it.

She walked over to Amy who had just finished handing a mother some paperwork. She knocked at the wall, Amy turned to her with a smile, "Hey, Winter, feeling any better?"

"A bit, actually, yeah. Hey Amy. . . do you have any mints?"


	16. Chapter 16

"So Jaune, how was your week?" Winter wondered as she shifted around on her beanbag chair, trying her best to take notes. It smelled like old plastic and had a slightly rough texture that made Winter's arms itch, but she tried her best to ignore it.

Jaune was having as hard a time as she was sitting still, sinking deeper and deeper into his seat with a panicked look on his face whenever the bag shifted. "It was fine"

"What does that mean?" Winter tried her best to keep her hand steady as she put her pen to the paper, but her writing ended up looking sloppy. She made up her mind to type it up later.

"I don't know. It wasn't that bad, but it wasn't that good either."

"There must have been some good that happened," Winter insisted, forgetting about the feeling of the little beans moving around under her.

"My older sister bought me some new clothes, which was pretty nice. I found out I'm gonna be in an advanced math class. Only a few kids get into it, so that's cool" Winter caught Jaune's face light up when he mentioned the class, but he reined it in quickly.

"You like math?" Winter pressed, trying to bring that light back out.

"Sort of. I like what you can do with it. You can figure out how to get to space, trajectories of stuff, statistics can be really fun too" Jaune talked quietly, but the passion was clear in every word he spoke.

"Do you do anything with it outside of school?"

"No. I don't think there are many places I can do math problems for fun, " sighed Jaune, any confidence ebbing out of his voice.

"Of course there are! There are math clubs and robotics teams that always need mathematicians. There are bound to be other people who like math there too" Winter couldn't help but get excited the more she talked, but she tried to keep her voice even. She didn't want to scare Jaune, the kid was like a rabbit, too much excitement and he would try his best to run away and hide. Not literally, but he would close himself off for sure.

"I'm not sure, . Isn't that sort of… nerdy?" Jaune hesitated before saying the word _nerdy_ like he thought he was saying a bad word or something.

"There's nothing wrong with liking math, Jaune. That doesn't make you a nerd. Besides, you shouldn't let what other people think to change what you wanna do. If you like math, join a math team. If someone says it's nerdy, ignore them. It's not their life, and they aren't the one doing it after all"

"Yeah, I guess" Jaune didn't sound too sure when he spoke like he was on shaky ground.

Jaune had a small smile on his face, but it was warm. He looked more relaxed then Winter had ever seen him. Winter hoped he took her words to heart, but only time would tell. "Promise me you'll at least look into it, ok Jaune? I think you'll like it" Winter glanced at the clock on her desk, frowning at the time. "Alright, Jaune, times up. I'll see you next week?"

"You should, . Have a good day" Jaune started to stand up, but his foot slipped on the beanbag and he landed hard on the ground. He was cherry red, and Winter had to stifle her laugh.

"Next week, can we not use the beanbags?" Jaune asked looking up at ceiling, still lying on the ground.

Winter held out her hand to help him up. "We'll see. Have a great week, Jaune" Winter smiled at him as he opened the door and made his exit.

Winter looked down at the notes she had taken down and started dancing around her office twirling and hopping like a ballet dancer. She hugged the notepad tightly, dancing with it like they were partners.

Eventually, she put it away in a drawer, a huge grin still on her face after her first time connecting with Jaune. Winter practically skipped out of her office, down the hall and out into the lobby and in front of Amy. "What's got you so happy?" Amy giggled, watching Winter try and calm herself down.

"Oh nothing, I just had my best appointment yet" Winter's voice fluttered, sounding like she was on another planet, and Amy had to laugh.

"Jaune?" Amy asked excitedly, Winter nodded as Amy stood up from her chair, getting almost as excited as Winter. "That's awesome!" Amy high fived Winter and a loud clap echoed through the waiting room, causing a mother and her son to look up at them, annoyed. They both looked at each other and fell back to earth a bit. Amys' face lit up, and she turned to Winter, a sly grin on her face.

"Isn't tonight the game night you've been going on about for two weeks?" Amy asked, sitting back in her chair with a grin. "What's his name again?" Amy coaxed, making Winters face light up

"Qrow. But I told you, it's not like that. I'm helping out his nieces" Winter mumbled, looking away from Amy as it rose another ten degrees in the room.

"Right, helping this guy by going over to his house. By yourself. Of course, that doesn't sound like a date, how could I think that?" Amy chuckled as she watched Winter struggle for an answer.

"I barely know the guy! Plus, I'm doing it for work!" Winter insisted, sounding more like a kid with every passing word.

"I've dated a ton of guys I've barely known. Fun times" Amy sighed happily, looking like she was reliving a dream.

"It's not a date" Winter declared again, but Amy tsked her tongue and leaned back in her chair.

"It's totally a date," Amy said with a wink and a smile.

"Nope. Bye Amy, see you tomorrow" Winter turned and walked away, waving without looking back at Amy.

"Tell me how it goes!" Amy called as Winter walked into the elevator.

Winter's mind buzzed as she stood frozen in the freezer section of _Elmos_. She figure there would only be one or two cookie dough brands, three if things were getting crazy. But instead, she was looking at at least three dozen kinds of cookie dough. Her eyes went down the lines trying to find the best one for the millionth time, but they all sounded the same. Cookie Delux dough, super sugar cookies, Triple double chocolate chip cookies. She wasn't sure what that last one even meant!

Winter gripped her phone in her hand, silently giving up. She needed help. She opened her phone and called Qrow.

"Hello?" Qrow answered after a few rings. There was some kind of metal noise on the other end that she couldn't place. Winter tried to think of the best way to phrase her question without it sounding too odd. "Hellooo!" Qrow called loudly into the phone annoyed.

"Hi, Qrow!" Winter said in a panic before he could hang up.

"Winter? What's up?" He asked he sounded far away, and there was still that metal noise in the background.

"Remember last week when I asked you about what I should bring and Ruby yelled that she wanted cookies?" She heard a small gasp on the other end of the line.

"Winter, are you bringing cookies?" Came the excited voice of Ruby.

"I'm trying to, but I can't figure out which ones to bring" Winter admitted, looking at the intimidating mountain of possibilities in front of her.

"Bring any kind over, we're not picky!" Ruby told her, Winter could picture her grin with ease.

"We?" She heard Qrow laugh in the background.

"Fine, I'm not picky" Ruby giggled. Then there was a snap, and Qrow started to cuss loudly.

"Ruby, the oil's getting everywhere, grab a towel!" Qrow yelled loudly sounding more annoyed than angry.

"Oops, Uncle Qrow broke the water pump. Gotta go, Winter! See you tonight! Boop!" Ruby said as she hung up the phone, leaving Winter confused in the cookie aisle.

"What's a water pump?" She asked herself aloud, grabbing a random pack of cookie dough.


	17. Chapter 17

Winter was beaming as she turned off the timer on her phone, "I think these are gonna be perfect! She bent down and opened up the oven, and a column of smoke poured out of the oven right into her open mouth.

Winter broke into a coughing fit as she waved the smoke out of her face, blindly trying to pull the cookie sheet out of the oven and throwing it on the counter in a panic. She ran to open the windows, the bitter taste of soot in her mouth.

"Come on, this is the third batch I've messed up!" Winter moaned as she laid down on the carpet in the tv room. Winter waited for the smoke clear out before she timidly went to check on her cookies. The last two batches had come out looking like clumps of black dirt more than cookies, so Winter took her time walking over.

Winter had her eyes squinted as she stepped into the kitchen, her bare feet cold on the wooden floor. The cookies… Weren't that bad. They were odd sizes and shapes, and dark brown, bordering on burnt, but a few of them were passable.

"Not bad" Winter smiled, taking a spatula and scraping the cookies off the sheet, a few of them breaking in the process. She dumped most of them into one plastic bag and a few into a smaller bag.

Winter quickly changed into an outfit she picked out a few days prior, a pair of tight blue jeans and a white sleeveless button-up with a collar, paired with white heels. Winter tried to make it as 'casual' as she could without coming across like she didn't care… She might have spent two days putting the outfit together.

Winter stepped out of the elevator and turned to see Earl sitting in the same place as always, "Do you ever move?" Winter teased, walking up to his desk holding the plastic bags behind her back.

"Of course I do, I just do my best thinkin' here!" Earl laughed, his eyes still on his book.

"New book?" Winter wondered, leaning on the side of his desk. He looked up and showed her the cover, _1001 Master level crossword puzzles_.

"Yup just got it a few days ago. It's not bad" it looked like he was already halfway done with the book.

"Hey, so I wanted to give you something" Winter smiled at him, he put the book down.

"Is it next months rent?" He asked with a laugh. Winter gave a nervous laugh, but he didn't look serious… She hoped.

"No, its something sweet!" Winter pulled out the small baggie of chocolate chip cookies and put them on his desk. His face lit up when he picked up the bag.

"Aw, you shouldn't have, Winter" He opened the bag up and grabbed a cookie.

"Well, I made some extra and figured you'd like some of them. I mean, you've been good to me so far, so I wanted to return the favor is all"

"Well thanks, I appreciate it. This isn't your way of telling me rent's gonna be late, is it?"

"No, of course not!" Winter gave a tight smile, she would probably be on time for rent, her paycheck was due any day now.

"Good" he laughed as he bit into one of the bigger cookies. His face instantly contorted as if he had just eaten a lemon followed by a big gulp of mud.

"What? Are they bad?" Winter asked, her voice going up a pitch. "I'm sorry, I've never made these before!"

"No, no, they're fine, Winter. Just went down the wrong pipe is all" He gave a pained smile, taking another bite of the cookie, flinching when he did.

"You're sure? You don't have to eat them if you don't want to" Winter pleaded, but he just shook his head.

"They're fine. Thanks again, I do appreciate it" Winter couldn't help but smile at the words, pride filling her up.

"Alright then, glad you like them, Earl. Have a great night" Winter waved goodbye to him and walked towards the door. He waved back, slowly chewing his cookie with a tight face.

Winter turned up the radio in her car, her hands tapping along on the steering wheel to the random pop song that was playing. She tried her best to let the music drown out her thoughts. The song was saying something about flying, but all Winter could picture was Qrow, Ruby, and Yang playing a board game with some random woman- person. A random person who could be any gender.

Winter sighed and turned down the music. She thought about her texts to Qrow the past two weeks, trying her best to figure out who else was gonna be there. _Hey Qrow, will there be enough space there? If I brought food, how many portions should I bring? Should I be expecting anything when I get there?_ She tried every angle she could think of, but he always responded with either a sarcastic comment, was too vague, or he didn't even give her a straight answer.

"_Turn right in five-hundred feet,"_ her phone told her. Winter obeyed, coming off of the highway that had taken her right to the outskirts of the city. She was only about ten minutes from her apartment and the city loomed in the distance, obscured by a deep fog.

Winter looked around wide-eyed at her surroundings, it wasn't exactly the peak of luxury. She had pulled off the highway and was now to the right of a small neighborhood. There were rows of unique houses that were mostly two stories. They all had small, mismatched lawns, with the sidewalk and the road both cracked and filled with potholes that were bigger than her tires. Most of them looked like they hadn't been power washed in years.

Only a few seconds after getting off of the highway, she had to make a hard right, turning onto a side street. "_You've arrived at your destination,"_ It said suddenly, so she parked on the side of the road. She looked, and the house to her left had the red pick up truck she recognized sitting in the broken, uneven driveway.

The house was two stories and was trying its best to be white, but was covered in dirt and sludge from the highway. There was a small garage separate from the house that looked too short to hold the truck, with the door closed and dented.

Winter got out of her car, triple-checking she locked it, and walked across the street. Her heels caught a few times on the cement cracks but straightened herself before she could fall. Winter had to hold her arms out to make sure she didn't lose balance in her dumb heels as she walked up the uneven pavement up to the door.

The glass on the door was dirty and looked like it was about to fall off, so she knocked on the wooden door. Winter held her breath, for a second she was scared that they wouldn't open the door, wouldn't let her in, or maybe she was at the wrong house…

She heard quick footsteps from the other side of the door and they suddenly came to a halt. There was talking on the other side of the door, but Winter couldn't make out what was being said. She waited outside, trying to fix her hair, making sure her bun looked good. Then all of a sudden the door flung open. Winter was expecting to see the tall Qrow standing in front of her, but she was just looking at space. Winter had to look down pretty far to see who had opened the door.

It was a woman who was short with dark skin with long gray hair in a ponytail. She wore thick glasses so her gray eyes were barely visible. She was carrying a cane with a blue skull on it. Winter didn't know what to say, standing there awkwardly. The woman looked her up and down, looking confused and annoyed. Then she angrily barked, "Who the heck are you?"

-Authors note-

Hey everyone, hope you're enjoying the story! When I started to write this I had a vague idea of where I wanted it to go and end up, but I finally sat down and planned out a road map of where this will go. I hope you guys decide to stick around for the ride! See you guys next week!


	18. Chapter 18

"Um, hi" Winter sputtered out, "I think I might be lost, sorry for disturbing you," Winter said in a daze, turning to walk away quickly. But before she could get too far the woman stuck out her cane, catching Winter's arm and forcing her to turn back.

"That's not an answer, Missy!" The woman chastised, scrunching her eyes at Winter. "Who are you?"

"My name's Winter, I'm looking for Qrow"

"Hm, and why are you looking for a lollygagger like him?" Winter could swear she could hear the woman growling at her.

"No reason" Lied Winter, but the woman looked less than convinced and even angrier. "They invited me over to family game night. I brought cookies" Winter corrected quickly, holding up the bag in her hand.

Winter heard a sharp intake of breath from inside the house, on the other side of the door. The woman cast a look in the direction and the sounds stopped abruptly.

"Ruby?" Winter said aloud.

"Hi, Winter-"

"Shut it!" Yang cut her off, followed by muffled noises. The woman let out a deep sigh as she rubbed her forehead, her eyes closed.

"Girls, I asked for a few minutes _alone_, with your new friend. Now, could I please get them!" The woman exploded, Winter could hear the two girls run away.

"Ew, my hands soaked! How was your tongue _that _wet!" Yang complained quietly while Rubys giggle faded into the distance.

"How about fixing your game thing!" Maria called out to the girls, "Ugh, those two never listen. Think they're being sneaky or something" The woman shook her head slowly, before looking up at Winter, her anger all but evaporated, replaced with a bored tone, "Name's Maria Calavera. You can call me Granny, everyone else does. So, you're the Winter they won't stop blabbering about?" Maria looked her up and down, not looking too enthusiastic about what she saw. "Well they were right about one thing, you are pretty"

Winter felt herself blush, "Thank you" Winter smiled, trying to fix up her bun. Maria turned around and was slowly walking into the home.

"Don't let it get to your head, kid. Shoes on the stairs" Maria grunted as she walked away, pointing her cane at the basement steps, leaving Winter by herself. She stepped through the threshold into the home and found herself standing on a small landing made of white tiles. But they weren't made out of stone, instead, it looked like they were made of some kind of old plastic.

From the landing, there were two sets of stairs, one short set leading up, and a long set leading down into the basement. It was pitch black in the basement and Winter could practically smell the dampness and feel the cold on her skin from where she was standing. There were shoes piled on the steps leading down, so she took off her heels and put them on top, hoping they didn't fall.

Winter walked after Maria, going up the small set of stairs that led into the kitchen. Her bare feet stuck to the tiles and it felt like she had to peel her feet off the ground with every step. Winter wasn't sure if it was because the floor was dirty or if it was because her feet were sweaty. Winter sort of hoped it was because the floor was dirty.

The kitchen was brightly lit and looked homey, but everything in the room looked to be about ten years out of date. The oven door looked like a slight tug could send it flying it was so plastered in rust, and the fridge was almost as bad. At least the fridge was covered in pictures of Yang, Qrow, Ruby, and even one or two of Maria, hiding the rust. When she took a step closer to the fridge she couldn't help but smile at all of the pictures, all of them looked pretty recent too.

There was a small dining room next to the kitchen, with enough room for a wooden table with four chairs, enough for everyone but Winter. For some reason looking at the chairs made her feel… Off. When she pictured tonight, she always imagined they'd sit down and all enjoy a nice meal together. But now she'd be lucky if she stood in the corner. Walking past the table she noticed a small pile of money on the table with a sticky note on it that read, _Not for Yang!_

Around the corner from the dining room, she found Ruby and Yang on the floor, messing with something that was resting underneath a large television. Maria was sitting on a black leather chair, watching them work and eating from a bowl of popcorn in her lap that looked like it could feed everyone in the room. There was also a black leather sofa that could probably fit three. It was a small room and it didn't feel cramped, but intimate, in a good way. There was also the sound of running water coming from somewhere down the hall.

"Why isn't it working?" Yang questioned, leaning into her sisters' side and trying to tickle her, but Ruby shoved her away with a laugh.

"You guys keep messing it up when you move it! This wouldn't happen if you guys let me keep it out here" Ruby explained, a hint of pleading in her voice.

"If we did that, then we'd never get to use the tv" Yang teased as she picked up the remote and started to mess with it, flipping between inputs.

"I wouldn't play it that much, only at night!"

"Then we'd never get to sleep"

"You're lucky I don't live here or else I'd throw the thing out! I swear, these games are gonna rot your brains" ranted Maria, shoving a handful of popcorn into her mouth.

"Granny, video games aren't that bad. If they were, Ruby would be a walking zombie. Oh, wait, she is" Yang chuckled, dodging Rubys attempts to kick her while she was still working under the tv. Snickering, Yang suddenly spun around, but stopped dead when her eyes met Winters "Crap! I forgot!" Yang jumped over the couch and walked down a small hallway, stopping at the first door on the left.

Yang pounded on the door loudly, "Uncle Qrow, Winters here! Get dressed!" The water suddenly stopped and Winter could hear movement behind the door.

"In the house, or is Granny stalling?"

"In the house" Winter called out, beating Yang to the punch.

"_Shit,_" He said quietly, but the walls were so thin everyone could hear him, "One minute"

"Take your time" Winter called back, smiling.

The tv, which had been black up this point, exploded in a flash of bright light, loud booming noises and cartoon characters fighting. Winter jumped about a foot in the air and yelped in terror. Thankfully, Yang was the only one who had noticed, and she tried her best to hold in her laughter at Winter's face.

"Got it!" Ruby squeaked while scooting out from underneath the tv. Yang vaulted over the couch and gave her sister a sharp high five.

"Oh yay, the game thing is working, how about that" Maria grumbled, but the two girls ignored her.

"Can we start?" Yang yelled, already grabbing a controller.

"Not yet!" Qrow called from the bathroom.

"Can I get the black one this time?" Ruby complained, reaching out for the sleek black controller in Yang's grasp.

"What? No! the black controller's the best one" Yang held it as high as she could, trying her best to keep it out of her jumping sisters short reach.

"Then why do you get it?"

"Because every time you get to pick what we do for game night, you pick video games, and whenever we play video games you always win! It's time to put a stop to it!" Yang grinned, looking back at Winter. Before anyone knew what was going on, the controller was in the air, moving fast towards Winter.

"Yang!" Winter cried as her hands flew out in front of her face. When the controller hit, she flung it back into the air. Winter's heart exploded as she dove and somehow managed to catch it before it shattered on the ground. Adrenaline had exploded into her system and she could feel her hands shake badly. She gripped the controller tight, trying to calm her breathing.

"That was awesome!" Yang yelled with her fists in the air. Ruby, on the other hand, didn't look too excited. Her mouth was wide open and her silver eyes were oceans looking at Winter, her hand was clutching her chest as if her heart had stopped.

Rubys gaze moved to her sister, changing from shock to mock anger, "Zwei! Get her!" Ruby boomed, pointing at her sister.

Winter heard something from down the hall, and turned her head to see… A fat, adorable, corgi charge down the hall for all it was worth barking the whole way. The dog ran past Winter and went right for Yang, jumping on her over and over. Yang looked down at her 'attacker' and smiled.

"Oh no! He got me!" Yang chuckled as she slowly fell onto the floor, getting kisses from the dog the whole way. She picked him and started to roll around with him on the floor, giggling.

"Zwei, you're supposed to destroy her, not play with her!" Ruby sighed before jumping on the ground and trying to rip Zwei away from her sister.

A creak came from down the hall, but Winter couldn't look away from the war for Zwei. The two girls were tickling, licking, and even pinching each other for all they were worth. Zwei seemed to enjoy the attention more than anything, kissing both the sisters as much as he could.

"What the heck happened here?" Qrow asked standing beside Winter wearing basketball shorts, a teeshirt, and his tilted cross necklace. His hair was still wet, but he had spent some time combing it. It was still messy but in a controlled way.

"I guess they're fighting for Zwei" Winter chuckled, turning back to the girls. Qrow clapped his hands, and everyone turned to face him, even Zwei.

"Alright you two, make a treaty, it's time to play," Qrow said as he vaulted over the couch and claimed his seat.

"Yay!" Ruby smiled, grabbing a random controller and moving around the games menu. She and Yang sat down on the ground in front of the couch with Zwei cuddled between them.

Winter walked around the couch, like a sane person, and sat down on the couch. She watched as Qrow glanced at her outfit, if for only a moment, before meeting her eyes, "Don't you look nice" Winter couldn't tell if he was teasing or being for real.

"I see you went with a more, relaxed approach" Winter shot back at him with a grin, "So what exactly happened on the phone earlier? Ruby said you broke a water bucket or something?" Qrow looked at her like she'd spoken to him in a different language, "You said something about oil?"

"Oh! I was at the shop earlier and I broke a Water pump. Then I hit cut a line accidentally and oil started to go everywhere. I was covered in after that, been in there for over an hour trying to get it all off" He chuckled like it was normal.

"I had to give them their money back, you dope!" Maria called from across the room, waving her cane at him. Qrow shrugged at her, and Winter thought she was gonna throw something at him.

"It came out of my pay, Granny. Plus, Ruby and I fixed it no sweat, isn't that right?" Ruby turned and looked at him and gave him a thumbs up.

"Easy peasy!" Maria groaned, sounding like she'd been punched or something.

"See? No harm no foul" Qrow chuckled.

"I don't know why I ever hired you" She grumbled in agony.

"Because you love us" Ruby chirped, surfing through the game screen with a smile. Maria sighed, but she smiled at the girls.

"Something like that"

"So, think you can help us take down, Ruby?" Qrow asked with a smile as he looking down at his beaming niece. Ruby turned and flashed them a warm smile, "She's a monster" Winter laughed, but Qrows face didn't change.

"How hard could it be?" Winter asked with a smile as Ruby started the game.

-Authors Note-

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays everyone! I hope you guys like these chapters and have a great holiday season! Having everyone read this story means the world to me and has been a pretty awesome gift! Thanks again, everyone!


	19. Chapter 19

It was so much harder then Winter could have dreamed. Everything moved way too fast, the music distracted her, and she couldn't figure out how to hold to controller right! It seemed to fit seamlessly in everyone else's hands, but it didn't work with her! She ended up putting it on her knees and pushing the buttons one at a time with her index fingers. Needless to say, she wasn't getting that many kills.

It didn't matter anyway, Ruby was dominating the game without even trying. She played as a short boy with a sword and zipped around the field attacking everyone she could get her hands on. In the middle of fights, she would talk to people while everyone sat in silence and tried to concentrate. Winter had no idea if she wanted to talk, or if it was apart of some master strategy.

At the end of the third round Ruby almost all of the kills, and everyone else was getting their butts kicked. In round four, Winters dinosaur thing got in Yang's way, messing up her attack on Ruby, "Winter, have you ever even played a video game?" Yang fumed as her sister swooped in and threw her off the stage.

"Not really, why?" Winter answered without really thinking, too busy trying to keep up with the action on the screen.

"That makes a lot of sense" Qrow laughed as he and Ruby traded blows, "Look at the way she's holding the controller" Yang and Ruby both looked at her and busted out in a fit of giggling.

"Winter, what are you doing? You're holding it all wrong!" Yang got out between laughs, holding up her controller for Winter to see.

"It feels weird holding it that way" mumbled Winter, looking down at the controller in her lap.

"Then let me show you how" Qrow laughed as he moved next to her on the couch, so close that their legs were touching. Before Winter realized what was going on, Qrow moved his hands and covered her own. The second their hands touched, Winter's face started to get hot as a furnace. Her mind felt clogged up, with the only thought she could process being that his hands were as rough as she remembered.

"See, you put your hands on the side like this, your thumbs go on the sticks, and your fingers on the triggers," Qrow talked slowly, close to her ear, moving her hands to the right places as he went. "Relax your grip Snowflake, if you break it you buy it"

Winter snapped out of her trance and realized her hands were in a death grip, "Sorry about that" she stuttered out, turning to see Qrows face way too close to hers.

"No harm done" Qrow smiled, his hands warming hers, "Alright, now how to jump"

That's how it went for the next few rounds. Qrows controller sat off to the side while his hands stayed on hers, teaching her how to do everything from attack to dodge. It was a slow process, but he never got mad or frustrated with her. Eventually, his hands were gone, and she was playing on her own. It reminded her of learning to ride a bike, with a parent pushing you while you rode until you were good enough to go out on your own… Not that Winter knew how to ride a bike, but she knew that's what you were supposed to do.

Winter was still bad at the game, but she was better. She even managed to kill Maria a few times! "Not bad Winter, soon you'll be able to take me on" Yang chuckled, moving around the map.

"I think I'm a bit better than you think" Winter shot back, a cocky tone in her voice. Winter knew she had no chance against Yang, but she was getting caught up in the madness!

"Your funeral" Yang smiled at her.

"Ooh! They're gonna go one on one!" Ruby gushed, moving to the side of the stage with Qrow and Maria following.

"Give 'em hell, kid" Qrow jeered, putting his controller down.

"Way to take sides, Qrow" Winter joked as she and Yang got ready.

"Oh, I was talking to you. I always root for the underdog" Winter looked at him with her mouth wide open and chuckling slightly.

"Wooow! Qrow, you just signed you're own death certificate" Winter smirked, shaking her head at him. His grin grew wider than ever at her. She and Yang were on opposite sides of the map when Yang suddenly charged!

But before anything fun could happen, there was a hard knock from the front door, breaking the mood in the room. "Pizza!" Ruby yelled, jumping up and rushing to the front door, her hand swooped down and picked up the money off the table on the way.

"Don't forget to tip!" Yang yelled as she stood up off the floor, stretching her back as she rose. Maria and Qrow were on their feet next, walking into the kitchen. Winter wanted to stay where she was planted, knowing that there wasn't space for her at the table. She looked at the floor and was glad to see Zwei had at least stayed with her.

"Yang, move over," Ruby said, followed by a hard grunt as she probably shoved her sister out of the way. Sounds of cabinets and drawers being opened and slammed shut over and over again came from the kitchen, making Winter question what exactly was going on in there.

The smell of the pepperoni pizza hit Winter's nose and her stomach growled like she hadn't eaten all day. Which, now that she thought about it, she hadn't. Hunger overtook anything else in her mind, and she started to get off the sofa. But right as she got up, everyone else shuffled back in the room.

Everyone had a paper plate in their hands piled high with food, Qrow even had two. Winter noticed that everyone had at least one of the cookies Winter had brought over, Ruby had a mountain of them on her plate, making Winter smile. But then she watched Ruby crumble the cookies up and coat her pizza in a thick layer of cookie, which made her a little sick.

Qrow plopped down next to Winter and handed her his second plate without even looking at her. Winter took it slowly, "Thank you… Uh, don't you guys usually sit at the table?" Winter questioned, looking over at the abandoned bit of furniture. Qrow raised an eyebrow at her.

"Course not, can't see the t.v. from there. Ruby, what're we watching?" Qrow was busy looking down at his pizza, but Winter looked down at the girls and caught something odd. She could have sworn she seen Ruby pass Yang a few dollar bills, which Yang quickly stuffed in her pocket. Winter's eyes shot down to look at her food before the girls seen her.

"I have the perfect movie! Winter, do you like action movies?" Ruby looked at her innocently when she asked. Winter felt herself gulp, Ruby was giving her the sweetest puppy dog eyes as she asked… How could Winter tell her that she hated action movies?

"Yeah, love them," Winter answered quickly, taking a small bite of pizza. The pizza was by far the best thing she'd eaten since leaving home. It melted in her mouth, the cheese was gooey and smelled amazing, and it also had the perfect ratio of crust to the sauce. She ate the rest of her slice like she was a ravenous dog.

Winter watched as one by one everyone took a bite out of one of her cookies and then the same odd look Earl had given would flash against their faces. Winter felt her heart sink as they all put the cookies back on their plates. Everyone except for Ruby that is. She ate her entire stack of cookies with a fire in her eyes, "These cookies are super good, Winter!"

"What are you missing, kid?" Qrow added, but Ruby looked lost for a bit.

Thank you!" Ruby called, cute as can be, as Yang slide her cookies onto Rubys plate. Ruby didn't complain though.

"You're welcome, Ruby," Winter said before taking another bite of pizza. Qrow looked over at her and gave her an odd look.

"You got something on your face" Qrow commented as the opening credits of the movie started.

"What?" Winter asked loudly, not hearing him over the music. Qrow pointed to the side of his face and handed her a napkin. Winter's eyes widened, taking the cloth and wiping down her face. She looked up at Qrow hopefully, but he shook his head and smiled at her and pointed to the other side of his mouth. Winter cleaned the other side of her mouth and looked up again, but he shook his head at her. This time Winter cleaned all over her face, not missing a spot. When she looked down at the cloth and seen a distinct lack of sauce on it, then seen his grinning face, she got the joke. She threw the napkin back at his face with a smile, but he caught it and threw it right back. _He has such a nice smile_, Winter thought to herself before they both started to watch the movie. Winter moved a bit closer to Qrow, and for a second she thought he'd done the same. She felt something flutter in the stomach as she pictured his smile, his eyes. It felt weird, unfamiliar to her, but… She liked how it felt.


	20. Chapter 20

Winter felt like she was bobbing in a warm pool, her head just above the water as she floated. She felt like she could stay there for hours and hours while the world around her slipped away into nothingness. She took a deep breath and caught the smell of something deep and rich. It reminded her of driving around in her bug, the open road around her as she took the back roads home. A soft smile broke out on her lips without her trying, she took another breath, trying to figure out what exactly it was… Then, her eyes slowly opened.

Winter's eyes slowly fluttered open, but it took her a minute to realize that she was awake now. Her mind was still groggy from the warmth, so she didn't know what was going on. The room around her was pitch black except for a sharp light coming from across the room that stung her eyes and made her squint. Underneath the light was three small shapes, wrapped in one big blanket. All three of them were huddling close together like they had done it a thousand times. The Yang and Rubys delicate faces hardly poked out of the blankets, with Zwei squished in between them, all of their chests were rising and falling softly together in harmony.

Maria's chair was vacant, the popcorn bowl sitting in her place. Winter felt a small tweak of sadness poke through the fog. She wanted to talk to the woman more, figure out who exactly she was. But there would be plenty of time for that later. Winter closed her eyes again and filled her lungs one more time, letting that same smell of freedom wash over her one more time.

Winter's eyes rolled over the room, her arms pulled the blanket that was cover her closer. She looked down and realized that she had no memory of how it got there. Someone had covered her in it. The blanket felt fluffy and nice on her arms, and she wrapped it tighter around herself, burying herself deeper into the pillow her head rested on.

Her pillow was the right amount of firm and soft, better than her pillow. Her nose filled with the smell from earlier, and she realized it was coming from her pillow. More out of curiosity than anything else, she looked and tried to see what the pillow looked like, maybe she could find one like it?

But instead of the fluffy pillow, she was expecting, she was looking up at… Qrow? Winter's mind was a bit slow at the moment and she couldn't grasp what was going on, like a lagging computer. He was looking down at his phone, the brightness was so low on it she could hardly tell it was on. He didn't seem to notice her weight, or maybe he didn't care. She couldn't remember falling asleep, so maybe she leaned into him in her sleep? Winter had no clue but knew she should probably tell him that she was awake.

Buuut instead she gazed up at him, watching as he scrolled calmly down his phone, the light from the t.v. illuminating him gently. His face was calmer then she'd probably ever seen it and he looked young to her for the first time. He didn't have a grin on his lips, a playful wink in his eye, or lines on his face. Is she was being honest, Winter thought he looked a little cute like this. But she'd never say that out loud.

She sat like that, her cheek resting on his shoulder, lazily looking up at him, her mind still lost in warmth and comfort. Winter felt her eyes get heavy, knowing sleep would take her soon. She tried to fight against it, not wanting to lose this moment. She sluggishly moved away from Qrow and the warmth he brought, knowing it was the only way to stay conscious. He looked over at her with a small smile, "Finally awake?"

Winter yawned, trying to look a little lady like by covering her mouth with her hand, "How long was I out for?" Winter asked quietly, the voice felt foreign coming from her lips.

"Not too long. You passed out after Ruby put the second movie in" Now that he mentioned it, Winter did remember Ruby begging them to watch the second movie in whatever action series they were watching. Ruby said that they were '_action movies at their finest,'_ and who could say no to that?

Winter brought out her phone, making sure to keep the blanket around her shoulders, and saw it was already well past midnight. "I should probably get going," Winter admitted groggily, but her legs felt like lead and moving seemed like way too much of a hassle, so she stayed put, trying to gather some form of motivation.

"Ya gonna get up then?" He probed, turning to look at her, a shadow of a smile on his face. Winter looked at the ground and felt a shudder roll down her spine, she could already feel the cold of the ground on her bare feet. Plus the idea of leaving behind her blanket and facing the cold wind of the night sounded like a nightmare.

"Maybe I'll wait for a few minutes, just till I get warm" Winter pulled the blanket over her head and leaned away from Qrow until her side hit the edge of the sofa, the leather creaking beneath her.

"Oh yeah, gotta get warmed up before you pass out again" Qrow chuckled, Winter didn't exactly catch what he said, but she looked at him with half-lidded eyes and nodded in agreement. "Or, you could stay here for the night"

Winter understood what he said, and sat up again, waking up a little as she moved. "I don't wanna sleep on your couch, Qrow. I should go home" Winter relaxed into the cushions, realizing exactly how fluffy and nice they were. _Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to sleep on here…_

"It's dangerous to drive tired, Snowflake, even I don't do it"

"I should go home" Winter's head was swimming,

"Why? Got someone waiting for you?"

"Yeah, Wei-" Winter started, catching herself before she could finish. She pictured Weiss sitting in her room at the manor, sleeping in her big empty room, without anyone one there for her… a dark realization washed over her, there wasn't any reason for her to go to her apartment. The only thing that place did was hold her clothes, nothing else was there for her. Nobody else.

Qrow nodded at her silence like he knew what was on her mind. "You can take my bed. I'll sleep down here" He said as he slowly stood up, the leather whined as he moved.

"You sure?" Winter asked, standing up after him, taking her blanket cloak with her.

"Yeah, I don't want you complaining about your back hurts when you wake up" he teased, patting her on the head.

"I would not" Winter complained, but deep down she could totally see herself doing that.

Qrow leaned down and slowly pulled the blanket off the sleeping trio on the ground. Yang and Ruby both had their arms wrapped loosely around Zwei, who looked completely content with all the affection. But when the cold air hit him, his eyes opened and gazed up at Qrow. His back muscles looked tight for a moment, but when he realized who was there, he relaxed and went back to sleep.

He scooped up Ruby and Zwei in his arms in one fluid motion, neither of the two seemed to realize they'd even moved. Winter's eyes got wide when she realized what he'd done.

"Qrow, you're touching her! What if she has another panic attack?" she whisper yelled, trying her best to be quiet. Qrow shrugged, not appearing too concerned about it as he looked down at Ruby and smiled peacefully.

"These two are heavy sleepers, Fireworks could go off in here and they wouldn't budge" Qrow chuckled, still gazing at Ruby, he took a thumb and gently moved some of her short hair out of her face, and Winter could have sworn a smile crossed Rubys sleeping face.

"Could you grab Yang?" Qrow asked her as he adjusted Ruby in his arms.

"Uh, sure. Yes, I can do that" Winter hesitantly said, not sure if she could lift the girl. As she looked down at Yang in the light of the t.v, for a moment it looked like her hair was pure white instead of her normal blonde. Her heart hurt thinking about the times she used to carry Weiss up to bed after she would fall asleep while reading a book.

"You got this" Winter whispered to herself, hoping Qrow couldn't hear her over the quiet noise of the movie. She bent down and slowly got her arms beneath Yang, using all of her muscles to hoist the girl up. She might have only been thirteen, but Yang must've had a lot of muscle behind her frame because it was a struggle to carry her.

Qrow lead the way with Ruby, walking silently as a cat in the night without the floorboards even creaking under his weight. Winter followed loudly behind him, with Yang snoring ever so slightly in her struggling arms. Qrow reached the end of the short hall and kicked open the door to the right, stepping inside with Winter close behind.

There was a window that looked out to the yard that illuminated the room ever so slightly. But even so, every step she took in the room felt uneven like the floor was covered in soft landmines! So Winter had to take her time and step carefully, while Qrow glided along like the floor was spotless.

The bed looked like it had exploded, the covers were half on the ground, pillows were up and down the bed, and even the mattress itself was somehow crooked. Winter even saw something that looked like an old pair of boxing gloves on the bed. Winter was glad it was dark and she couldn't see the rest of the room.

"Is this Yangs or Rubys room?"

"Take a guess"

"Yang?" Winter remembered that Yang was the boxer and suddenly felt very silly for asking. Or maybe she was too sleepy? She had no clue anymore. Honestly, it wouldn't have shocked Winter it was Rubys room either, she wouldn't put it past the girl to leave her room like a typhoon had just blown through.

"Ding ding ding" Qrow smiled as he used his feet to pull back the covers and kick some pillows to one side of the bed.

"Dang, you got some fancy feet" Winter giggled as Qrow fake kicked her. Winter tried to kick back, but started to lose her balance, "Shit!" she whispered, hardly managing to find her footing before she took Yang down with her.

"Smooth move, Snowflake" Qrow chuckled as he kicked the mattress back into place against the wall. Somehow Ruby and Zwei either didn't feel him kicking, or they were super deep sleepers.

"Hahaha, laugh it up" Winter grumbled half-heartedly, knowing she would've done the same thing if their roles were reversed. Slowly, and as gently as she could, Winter set Yang down on her bed. Winter made sure her head was resting comfortably on a pillow and took the blanket off the floor and draped it over Yangs sleeping form. Without thinking, Winter tucked Yang in tightly before bending down and softly kissing her forehead.

As Winter turned away from Yang, she could see Qrow weirdly smiling at her, "What? Was that weird?"

"You're sweet, Win" Qrow smiled as he turned away and walked to the other room. Winter didn't even have time to register what he said, but butterflies still managed to find their way into her stomach as she followed him.

Rubys room seemed a lot cleaner than Yangs, but not by much. The floor wasn't covered in clothes. Instead, there was paper, pens, bits of metal screwed and welded together, and even a few books scattered on her desk and the floor nearby. Thankfully, most of the floor was clean. Rubys bed also looked like she'd but at least a little effort into making it.

Winter moved the covers to the side while Qrow set Ruby and Zwei down like they were made of glass. Winter moved the blankets around the sleeping girl and watched as she snuggled up with Zwei and buried her face in his fur. Winter was about to kiss Rubys forehead but caught a glimpse of Qrow smiling at her like a dope and thought better of it. She didn't wanna give him any more ammunition for jokes later.

They tiptoed out of the room and closed the door behind them. "Alright, now it's your turn" He walked past her and up a set of stairs leading up. As she followed him, she couldn't help but be proud oh how she hadn't lost her blanket as she hugged it tight around herself once again.

He walked up the stairs quickly and silently, with Winter following close behind but not nearly as silently. The wooden steps creaked and groaned with the slightest movement, and Winter was glad that the girls were heavy sleepers. Qrow walked ahead of her into the darkness, before hitting a light and illuminating the second floor.

Well, the upstairs wasn't a new floor and was more like a single room. While bigger than either of the girls' room, it was hardly any bigger than her bedroom in the apartment.

The room was baren of furniture. There was a perfectly made bed in the corner, a nightstand with a lamp that was lighting up the room lightly, a small t.v. on the other side of the room. There was also a small closet that Qrow was looking through, but that was it.

Winter watched Qrow as he dug around his closet, feeling out of place, to say the least. Maybe it was the sparseness of the space or the fact that this was Qrows private room she was intruding on, but she felt vulnerable standing there.

Qrow finally came walking over, tossing a shirt and a pair of basketball shorts onto the bed. "In case you want something more comfortable to sleep in," He told her when she gave him an odd look. "Well, goodnight," He said awkwardly, before walking to the stairs again.

"Qrow" Winter said groggily, gripping the blanket tightly. He turned back to her with his eyes curious. "Thank you. For the bed I mean. I appreciate it" She sputtered the words out slowly like her brain had to double-check that they were the right ones.

Qrow smiled at her then coughed into his hand, Winter was pretty sure it was a fake cough for some reason, "Listen, so Yang has her first boxing match tomorrow. It's not gonna be big or anything, but I know she wanted to ask if you wanted to go. I told her you probably had work, but she wanted me to ask you anyway." Qrow had a slight hesitance in his voice when he talked, and Winter thought it was adorable.

Winter did have plans to hang out with Amy the next day, but a quick text would solve that. Plus, she didn't have any scheduled appointments at work either. She was gonna go in and do some paperwork, but she could do that any day, "I don't know, I guess I could shift some things around, probably fit it in my schedule, but maybe not… " Winter shrugged, not able to keep the smile off her face. "Yes, I'd love to go"

Qrow smiled at her and started to walk down the stairs, "Glad to hear it, Snowflake. G'night"

"Goodnight, Qrow" she called after him, hoping he heard her before the door closed behind him.

Winter glided over to the bed and picked up the clothes Qrow had given her. They were big, but that's a good thing for sleepwear. As she started to undress, she couldn't help but feel a little weird getting undressed in someone else's home, in a guys room no less!

"Oh God, Amy's gonna have a field day" Winter mumbled to herself as she slid on the loose shorts and shirt. Then she flopped onto Qrow bed, where her nose was assaulted with the scent of freedom from earlier.

Winter felt her back loosen up and her worries float away with the wind the more she breathed it in. Snuggling under the covers, the blanket from downstairs still wrapped around her, she realized that it was Qrows smell. It wasn't cologne, soap or anything, this was how he smelled. As much as Winter hated to admit it, he smelled _so good_.

Within minutes Winters's mind grew drowsier and slower as sleep slowly took ahold of her. The sounds of the highway were like a lullaby, helping her forget everything and getting lost in her mind. As images of the last day flashed in her head she couldn't shake one thought, _I haven't had that much fun in a while_. Then, sleep took her down into its depths.

-Authors Note-

So this chapter's pretty long so I'm only gonna be posting one this week, but it'll probably be back to normal next week! I hope you enjoy the chapter because I liked writing it!

Happy New Years!


	21. Chapter 21

Winter's eyes fluttered open slowly, breaking her out of whatever dream she was in the middle of. The sharp rays of the sun were peaked through the blinds, forcing her eyes open to see the light. Winter put her arm over her eyes, trying to ignore it, hoping to go back to sleep. But it was too late. She lay there, an arm covering her eyes.

Then, the ending of the night came back in a mist and Winter shot up in the bed and looked around. She looked around in a daze for her closet, her walls, her apartment, but couldn't find a single bit of familiarity. She looked around the room, her eyes landing on the pile of clothes next to the bed, and Winter felt her mouth go dry. She looked around the bed and thankfully couldn't see Qrow anywhere, so that was a plus.

Winter rolled out of bed and felt her shorts slip down her legs. Pulling them up as fast as she could with a bright blush, she remembered that she was wearing Qrows shirt and shorts. Winter tied the drawstring of the shorts as tight as it could go, which only helped a little. The shirt also felt about three sizes too big, but it was soft like a summer dress and carried Qrows smell, not that she would ever admit that as a reason to like it.

She looked around the room, getting a good look at it for the first time. It was as plain as last night, with the only different thing was a framed photo on the wall she hadn't noticed before. It was of a younger Qrow, maybe twenty-one or twenty-two, sitting in a bar dressed in camo while he sulked with a frown etched into his face, holding up a handful of playing cards in his left hand while his right was making a not so nice gesture to the camera.

Winter slowly walked downstairs after remaking Qrows bed and folding her laundry, her squeaky steps echoing throughout the still house. The first thing that caught her eye was Qrow sprawled out on the couch, his arms and legs all over the place with a blanket thrown on the ground. She could hear him snoring gently and smiled as she walked over, gently setting the blanket down on top of him.

She looked down at his sleeping face and pictured the sleeping sisters, smiling at how much they looked alike while they slept. Winter reached out slowly, not sure what she was doing, but before she could do anything, a crash came from Yang's room that boomed like a gunshot.

Qrow didn't even budge, but Winter didn't hesitate and she ran down the hall and burst into the room without even knocking. Yang was in the middle of the ground underneath the open window, fully dressed with a pair of shoes on and rubbing her head. Winter looked up and seen someone looking into the room through the window, but the onlooker was only there for a fraction of a second, and all Winter could make out was a pair of eyes the color of amber. Once their eyes met, the watcher ducked down and was gone in a flash, leaving Winter confused, to say the least.

"Yang, what happened? Who was that?" Winter questioned as she helped the poor girl get to her feet. Yang took her time getting her footing, while Winter held onto her shoulder trying to help. Yang happened to be fully dressed and even had her sneakers on.

"Fell out of bed is all, nothing serious!" Yang laughed scratching the back of her head with a grin. Winter looked at her sideways.

"... Fully dressed?"

"Yup, I guess I went to sleep in my clothes! Hehe…" Yangs laugh sounded a lot less convincing the second time around, and her eyes were looking more at the door than at Winter.

"Yang, you and Ruby are sweet, but you guys are bad liars" Winter sighed with a smile as she walked Yang over to the bed and sat them both down.

"Hehe, would you be shocked to hear that's not the first time we've heard that?" Yang smiled, her laugh was forced and hollow as her eyes looked down at her shoes.

"Not at all" Winter smiled, patting Yang's knee lightly. "Really though, who was that?" Winter wondered, turning on the bed so she was facing Yang. The blonde was uncharacteristically quiet, sitting very still on the bed like she was deep in thought.

"I can't tell you" Yang somberly told her. Winter watched Yang carefully, looking for any road signs for what the girl was thinking.

"Why can't I know? Is it because of my job?" Winter wondered aloud, Yang shook her head slowly.

"I made a promise I wouldn't tell anyone" Yang stated matter of factly, finally looking at Winter. Winter felt the memory of Yang's pinky on hers and could see what a promise meant to this girl.

"Alright, then, so you can't tell me who you were with. But can you at least tell me what you two were doing?" Winter felt like she was pleading, but she had to be sure that Yang wasn't in any danger. What if it was some random man who was trying to kidnap her? Or a drug dealer trying to get her hooked? What if it was a boyfriend! Somehow that felt like the worst option…

"We were going for a walk, that's all" Yangs smiled at Winter that equal parts goofy and heartfelt, while her eyes sparkled like lilac diamonds. Then it looked like somebody had dumped a bucket of cold water on her head, and she was shocked back into reality, "You don't have to tell uncle Qrow, do you?"

Winter sighed, "As long as you're safe, not doing anything dangerous, and not with dangerous people, I don't have to tell him. But I don't think it's a good idea to keep secrets from him, Yang" Winter said earnestly, putting her hand on her shoulder. Luckily, Yang didn't seem to have anything against tough like her sister and smiled.

"Don't worry, I'm safe and we aren't doing anything bad… And I don't like keeping stuff from him, but I promised" Yang looked at Winter with a sad smile that broke Winter's heart.

"Well, if that's the case then I'll keep this quiet for now. But tell the second something bad happens, ok?"

"I can do that" Yang chuckled lightly to herself, "Thanks, Winter, it means a lot" At Yang's simple words, Winter felt her heart do a million backflips as warmth filled her up.

"Are those Uncle Qrows clothes?" Yang burst out laughing, falling back on the bed holding her gut.

"I didn't have anything to sleep in!" Winter defended as she crossed her arms over the shirt, a blush running up her face, "They're comfy!" Yang kept laughing, not even able to talk anymore.

"What's so funny?" A deep voice said from the hallway. Qrow was leaning against the door with a smile. Yang wheezed and pointed at Winter, "Clothes!" was all she could get out between laughs. Qrow raised an eyebrow at her.

"That's not that funny, weirdo" Qrow turned to Winter looking confused. Winter shrugged at him, not sure what was so funny about it either.

"So funny!" Yang got out, sitting up on the bed with tears at the corner of her eyes, trying to get her breathing under control. Qrow walked over to Yang and patted her on the head.

"Whatever you say, kid. Come on, you gotta get ready for your first match" It was like he'd used a spell, she jumped up quickly even Ruby would be shocked and started to run around the room, shoving shorts, a mouth guard, and a few other odds and ends into a small bag.

"Come on you two, we're gonna be late!" Yang called as she ran out the door, "Ruby! Get up already!" Yang shouted as she pounded on Ruby's door.

"I'm up!" Ruby insisted as she pushed open the door, her hair was going all over the place and her eyes were still half-closed as she swayed back and forth in the hallway. Ruby chased after her sister to the kitchen where she could hear pots and pans clunking around.

"Breakfast is in the fridge!" Qrow called, sitting down next to Winter and fell back, looking up at the ceiling,

"Thank you!" the girls called after they opened the fridge and gotten their prize.

"Care to join me?" Qrow asked, patting the space next to him.

"Only since you asked _so nicely_" Winter chuckled, leaning back on the bed, her legs almost dangling over the side. "Oh wow" On the ceiling was a huge poster for some band called the Achieve Men, with hearts drawn all over it.

"Yeah, her phones filled with their stuff" Qrow chuckled, the bed springs squeaking as he moved. A calm silence spread over them, well as silent as it could be with Yang and a sleepy Ruby tearing into whatever Qrow made, "You still going today?"

"Of course, wouldn't miss it" Winter beamed, turning on the bed to look over at him.

"You might wanna get out of those pajamas then, we're leaving in fifteen" Winter sat up on the bed and looked down at him.

"You're kidding, right?" But Winter was already up, knowing by his grin how serious he was. "Qrowww, you suck!" Winter called as she rushed upstairs to try and find something presentable to wear.

Her heart was beating fast as she ran up the stairs, adrenaline pumped in her veins and a smile was on her lips. She was about to be at Yang's _first-ever_ boxing match, and she couldn't wait!

-Authors note-

Thanks again for everyone reading this, I really can't say it enough! It's been, well let's say not the best few weeks, but writing this has helped for sure. So I hope you guys enjoy this week's chapters!


	22. Chapter 22

Winter walked down the stairs with a slight blush on her face, stuffing the back of the oversized shirt into the waistband of her jeans. Mere moments ago it had sounded like an elephant stampede was making its way through the house, but now the house was dead quiet and still. The only noise in the house, besides her steps, was Zwei who was drinking out oh his dish without a care in the world. "Hello?"

She waited for a response, her pulse started to speed up ever so slightly… _Honk! Honk!_ Winter's head turned and seen everyone piled into the red truck, while Ruby leaning over Qrow and laying down on the horn with a smile. "Let's go, Winter! We're gonna be late!" Ruby called out the open Winter, screaming right into Yang's ear. Yang turned and pushed her sister back into her seat with a grumble of words Winter couldn't make out.

"Winter, can you grab my gloves? I think they're on my bed, or maybe the floor. Or the desk. Whatever, you'll find them!" Yang gave her a thumbs up. Winter sighed, knowing she really didn't have a say in the matter and turned right around and ran to Yang's room.

"How'd she forget her gloves? That's the main thing she uses!" Winter complained as she opened the door into Yang's mess. Honestly, the gloves were a lot easier to find then she would have thought. Instead of being buried under a mountain of clothes shoved under her bed, they were sitting right on her desk. The gloves were dark red, with cracks and grooves in them, a lot more than could be done with the few weeks of lessons Yang's had. When she looked inside of the gloves something was interesting, written in marker was the name, _Tai_.

Winter didn't have time to dwell on this though, realizing she was keeping everyone waiting. So she hurried over to the door with the gloves in hand. She looked down at her heels and gulped, thinking about walking around for God knows how long in them. Instead, she slid her feet into a pair of flip flops that looked like they were Yangs, hopefully, she wouldn't mind and ran outside.

Yang flung the door open as Winter walked up, but she stopped and looked at the fully packed truck, "So I'll follow you guys over I guess?" She asked, throwing Yang the gloves who caught them with a grin.

"What? There's no time, get in!" Qrow insisted, waving her into the truck. Now, for most of her life, Winter had never dreamed of into a car with so little space before. If there was too many people for the car, her father would always get a bigger car. Too many people for a big car? Get a second limo. So being the fourth person in a car meant for three at most wasn't something she was exactly used to. Yang grabbed Ruby and pulled the small girl up into her lap as they both giggled. Winter watched the younger girl carefully as she sat on Yang's lap, trying to pull the seatbelt over both of them. Winter crawled into the truck and was still scrunched together against Yang, their legs were so squished together it was hard to tell where Yang ended and she began.

Qrow didn't waste any time, the second the door was closed the truck was in drive and he was speeding down the road. The second they were out of the driveway Winter and the girls were getting slingshotted into the air over and over again as Qrow hit every pothole on the road! And there was a lot…

It only took a few seconds on the road for someone's eyes to turn to her outfit, "Winter, are you wearing Uncle Qrows shirt?" Ruby wondered, innocent smile on her face.

"And are those my flip flops?" Yang asked, turned and looking down at her feet. Winter wrapped her arms around the camo tee-shirt she was wearing, trying her best to hide it, but the secret was out.

"I didn't wanna wear the same shirt two days in a row, and this was the only thing even close to small enough to fit" Winter mumbled, looking out the window as her face slowly turned scarlet. Outside, she watched a girl about Weiss's age with long black hair and a backpack walk down the sidewalk, heading the same way they were. Winter couldn't be sure, but it looked like she had a small smile on her face.

"I like it!" Ruby gushed from her sisters' lap, "You tucked in the shirt and it looks great on you!"

"Yeah, it's nice to see you look so relaxed" Yang laughed as she poked her sisters sides hard, making Ruby jump and squeal

"Yang! You said you wouldn't tase me anymore!" Ruby whined, trying to cover her sides with her hands.

"No, I said I'd stop _for the day_, and it's the next day! So I can do it again!" Yang grinned as she poked her sister again, Ruby groaned as she moved her hands trying to keep Yangs _tasers_ at bay. Winter smiled but didn't say anything as the girls played with each other, instead she turned and looked out the window again, watching the world race by.

The ride was probably only a few minutes, but with Yang and Rubys nonstop jokes and banter, the ride only seemed to take an instant. Qrow pulled off the road and into the parking lot of a huge building that was painted a dull beige with black silhouettes of kids playing and jumping brightening up the mood. It vaguely reminded Winter of one of her father's warehouses.

She didn't have much time to look through, because right as Qrow parked the car, everyone else started to jump out of the car like it was about to explode. Qrow slid out first, then Ruby, and finally Yang, all while Winter sat there in silence. "Yang, go get ready, we'll be in asap," Qrow told her, pulling Yang's backpack out of the back of the truck and tossing it to her without even looking.

"Roger that!" Yang saluted before turning and running into the building.

"Good luck, Yang! Kick butt!" Ruby shouted, jumping up and down like it was going out of style. Yang held up her thumb as she opened the door, her grin clear even from so far away.

Qrow, Ruby, and her all started to follow after Yang, but at a much more leisurely pace. Ruby swung her arms in circles and was humming a song, "She likes this by the way. Boxing" Qrow suddenly spoke up, breaking the near silence and causing Winter to look over at him "It was a good idea is all. She's gotten into a few fewer fights at school. Not no fights, but less. Which is pretty good for her" Qrow chuckled lightly, scratching the back of his head, his eyes still on the door ahead of them.

"I thought she'd like it, glad I was right" Winter smiled, the sound of her flip flops the loudest thing in the parking lot, "What do you think about it, Ruby?" Winter looked down at the girl, her arms still spinning in circles.

"I like it! She'd been a lot happier since- um, boxing started! Yeah!" Ruby stuttered out with her arms coming to a halt after she was done talking. She was silent after that, looking at the ground with wide eyes her fingers tapping on her legs.

Qrow held the door open for Ruby and Winter, bowing as they passed him like he was a butler. A butler with a pretty lousy bow, but Winter still appreciated it. Ruby led the way down a long cement hallway with ceilings so high even a giant would be comfortable. There were signs for massage parlors, tea shops, and even some kind of an arcade! But they turned into the first door on their right. _Blue Bear Boxing_.

The first thing that hit Winter was the smell of the disinfectant. It wasn't so bad it made her gag, but it was clear that a lot was used all the time. The walls were a light blue color except for the side of the room that was one long mirror and the other that had a few windows for some natural light. The room was a small gym, but instead of weights, there was a lot of… Machines? Winter wasn't sure what to call them. There were punching bags, those small bags you hit in circles or something, mannequins for punching, a weird looking thing that was bolted into the ground with pads at all kinds of angles for you to hit, and a few other odds and ends. But all of those were pushed to the side to make room for people.

In the middle of the room was a large boxing ring, that stood taller than even Qrow. In the ring were two boys going at it with everything they had. They were moving fast, throwing hard punches, and the crowd cheered whenever one of them landed a hit. The energy in the room was electric, and it was quickly spreading to all of them.

"Will you folks be watching?" An old woman politely asked them. She was sitting down at a plastic table with a tin money box in front of her, a weary smile on her face. There was a small sign on the table written in sharpy, _$5_.

Winter reached for her wallet, which she thankfully left in her pants pocket, the pocket was by far her favorite part of these jeans. But Qrow had beaten her to the punch and had already handed the woman a handful of bills. Fast as lightning, the woman stamped all three of their hands and waved them inside.

"Next one's mine, Qrow" Winter insisted as she shoved her wallet away.

"Whatever you say, Snowflake" Qrow shrugged her off as he and Ruby walked past her and stood on the outskirts of the crowd. Winter walked to join them but stopped when her eyes found Yang walking out of the locker room, fully changed. Winter waved, but a man with a large stomach and an even larger gray mustache walked up to her and patted her on the shoulder with a laugh. The two talked and the man threw some punches at the air while Yang nodded. But her eyes weren't on the man in the slightest.

Her eyes shot rapidly through the crowd and Yangs usually happy go lucky smile looked tense. When her eyes found Ruby and Qrow, she didn't relax. Her eyes didn't even seem to register Winter, gliding right over her until they landed on something behind her. Yangs smile thawed and bloomed into one of pure joy, and she started to hop up and down excitedly. The man kneeled and talked to her, and she seemed to be listening, her eyes focused solely on him.

Winter looked behind her and found the same girl from earlier, the one with long black hair and the backpack. She was talking to the old woman, an almost invisible smile on her face as she reached in her pants for something. She was dressed in dark blue jeans and a black long sleeve shirt that looked like it had been around for a few years. But her hair looked like it was silk woven from pure darkness, while her eyes shown like gold.

She pulled out a wad of crumpled dollar bills and started to count them, but stopped and looked down, her golden eyes wide, "I only have four… " The girl all but whispered, Winter was tuned in now though and caught it without difficulty. Winter walked up without hesitating.

"I can help you out" Winter smiled, pulling out her wallet and handing the woman an extra dollar before any protests could be made. Before she realized what had happened, the black-haired girl's hand was stamped and she was ushered into the gym.

"Thank you very much," The girl said before taking a few rushed steps towards the crowd.

"No problem- I'm sorry, what's your name?" Winter asked with a smile, watching as the girl's eyes turned defensive and cold. But, the girl smiled all the same.

"Bella, Bella Donna. Thank you again" She said, both of them eyeing the other like hawks before Bella turned around and vanished into the crowd like a cat in the night, just as Yang walked onto the vacant boxing ring.


	23. Chapter 23

Yang swaggered onto the boxing ring like she owned the place, a leisurely smile on her face as she hopped up and down around the ring while throwing light punches at the air. She was wearing a pair of tight shorts and a sports bra, the red gloves tied tightly to her hands. She waved to the crowd, working her charisma to its max and getting everyone who was watching excited and talking. Yang was always facing her audience no matter where she was in the ring, never turning her back on them, always giving them her full attention like any other entertainer. Because that what Yang looked like out there, not a boxer, but a beautiful actress.

Yang finally stopped moving, settling down in the corner to Winters right and turning to the center of the ring for the first time. Well, settled down wasn't the right thing to say. She was still bouncing like Ruby usually does, but at least she was standing in one spot now. The portly man with the mustache climbed into the ring, stepping on one of the ropes so he could walk in without having to bend. He was stretching the ropes so far apart Winter got more than little scared they might snap! The thing that mostly freaked her out about the guy, who was apparently acting as the referee, was that as much as she strained her eyes, Winter couldn't make out his eyes, which freaked her out a wee bit.

He coughed and held up his hands, trying to quiet the crowd. He waited, but the talking never stopped completely, so after a minute he continued anyway, "Our next match is between two of the newest and most promising young boxers in our league! First, Yang Xiao Long!" Yang held up her gloves and started to flex while the crowd clapped and cheered, all of them caught up in Yangs energy, and she couldn't really blame them. Yang gave off a warmth that made people want to smile and get excited. Winter would be lying if she said she didn't feel her effects.

"And she will be fighting, Neo!" A petite girl climbed into the ring, gliding between the ropes like a snake with her hair pink and brown that was tied in a ponytail. Neo was dressed similar to Yang, but she gave off the exact opposite energy. Yang was bombastic and explosive, while Neo seemed distant and cold. Not even bothering to look at Yang before she was situated in her corner.

Most of the cheers died down as Neo walked into the corner, but a small section got loud and started to yell and clap for the girl. Winter looked, and could see a young man with red hair and a bowler hat clapping with a grin on his face. When his hands stopped moving, the rest of the noise around the ring died within seconds.

Yang glared at Neo, her wild energy slowly turning into concentration and focus as she raised her gloves, "The two boxers will touch gloves" The mustached man stood in the middle of the ring looking at the girls waving them to the center. The girls looked at each other, like they were daring the other to make the first move.

"Allow me" Yang said with a grin and a wink, making the first steps. Neo stayed silent, shrugging as she lightly walked to meet the blonde. They touched gloves for an instant with their eyes locked on each other. Silence surrounded the crowd as the two girls got into their final positions. The ref turned to look a teach of them, nodding to both of them, before he raised his hand. The tension in the air was thick, like a mist that covered the entire gym… "Fight!"

Yang moved like a bullet, closing the distance between them before the man had hardly even taken a step away. Her arms were moving fast and hard, trying to deal as much damage as possible as quick as possible.

The crowd hadn't seemed to realize what was going on yet, because the silence hadn't broken yet. Until… "Kick her butt, Yang! You got this!" Ruby called from the back of the room.

Simple as that, the tension broke, and everyone watching exploded into a fit of cheers and applause. Some were for Neo, but most were for the bombastic blonde who was moving at light speed with anvils attached to her hands.

Yang threw blow after fierce blow at Neo, and it was clear to anyone watching that Yang could've taken the small girl out in a hit or two. Only one problem though, Neo was dancing around every hit like a pro.

Neo smiled as she spun around, ducked, and parried every one of Yangs punches, her small smile never wavering. With fist after fist hurled her way Neo was only dodging the hits by inches, but Yang was running out of steam quickly.

Yang's attacks were slowing down more with each passing millisecond. It was clear that Yang's strategy was something along the lines of, the best defense is a good offense. That made a lot of sense when Yang was being aggressive and keeping her opponents hands busy with blocks. But Yangs offense was falling apart, and her defense was close behind…

_Wham! _Yangs attacks suddenly stopped as Neo took advantage of an opening Yang had given her, receiving a knuckle sandwich right to her gut. Yang's eyes went wide as her hands dropped to grab her stomach, leaving her face wide open. A mistake Neo wouldn't let her forget as she rammed her left hand into Yangs face.

Yang went stumbling to the side, her balance obliterated by the punch. Yang turned and tried to throw up her hands again, but Neo wasn't having any of it. She kept close to Yang and kept throwing punch after punch at her.

Yang was trying to dodge and weave like Neo had, but she was slow and clunky where Neo had been swift and delicate. Neo got plenty of hits in before Yang managed to get some space between them.

Neo waited at a distance, an easy smile on her face, while Yang huffed and tried to find her footing with her off balance. Neo took a step to the side, when her smile vanished and she jerked. Somehow, she lost her balance and had started to fall, with shock clear on her face.

Yang didn't hesitate, making her move in a flash, probably throwing all of her remaining strength into this last punch aimed right for Neos face.

But almost as if it was in slow motion, the shock left Neos eyes and a dark glint took its place. Without missing a beat, Neo found her footing and righted herself, pulling herself out of Yang's destructive path with ease. She let her teeth show as she grinned, throwing all of her body weight into Yang's exposed side.

Yang's mouth flew open as her legs gave out, her eyes wide as she fell onto her knees, trying her best to cradle her side. Yang was gasping for air on the ground, not even looking at Neo anymore. Neo took a step back and smiled, reminding Winter of a demented fairy. Neos smile grew even bigger as she stepped in front of Yang's head and brought her fist back.

Winters stomach dropped and she had to look away, knowing what was about to happen to that sweet girl. She expected to hear a thud as Yang hit the ground, or a gasp from the audience, but nothing came. The only thing that was there was quiet.

Winter opened her eyes and saw that the hit never found its mark. The man with the squirrel on his face was standing behind Neo with her arm in his hand. He held it firmly, and Neo looked at him with utter contempt as she ripped her arm free, walking away from him and to the center of the mat.

He helped Yang to her feet, talking to her quietly, helping her find her footing aside Neo. Yang was wobbly on her feet, but at least she was standing. Albeit with her hand still pressed to her side.

"The winner is… Neo!" The man smiled, holding the pink-haired girls hand high in the air. There was a small roar from the audience, but Neo looked more bored than excited standing there. When he released her hand, Neo walked to the edge of the rope and floated down the floor, landing next to the red-haired boy, "My my, not a bad show!" Winter heard him say before he wrapped her in a soft hug, resting his chin on her head. Neos smile was small, but real as she wrapped her arms around him in return and closed her eyes.

Winter wished Yang was even close to that happy.

Yang stood in the middle of the ring, silent and stiff with eyes as dull as a corpse. The man lightly but his hand on her shoulder as he walked her over to the side of the ring. Qrow walked over with Ruby by his side, so Winter walked over and met them. Ruby had a big smile on her face, but it was clear she was trying her best to keep away from as many people as possible.

"Yang, that was so amazing! You were all like _wham, ting, pop, whooshy whooshy_! You were totally awesome! You're like a superhero!" Ruby bounced and swung a few punches of her own, keeping them well away from the crown around them. Yang's head hung low as she dropped off the ring with a huff.

"Thanks, Rubles" Yang said in a hoarse voice, clearly forcing a smile on her face.

"You did exceptional, Yang! Not unlike my first boxing match! We'll be practicing those blocks again, that's for sure!" The man gave a hearty laugh, twirling his mustache. His eyes fell on Winter, "Ahhh, this must be the woman you were telling me about Yang! How do you do miss, my name is Peter Port, Yang's coach" He said as he gave a small bow.

"Um, good to meet you? I'm Winter, a friend of Yang's" Winter appreciated words, but at the same time they were a bit too… Familiar. Too many of her father's associates and business partners had a similar, old school way of talking. But they mostly used it to feel superior to others, or that's what Winter thought at least. had probably talked like that all his life.

"If you'll excuse me, I have another match to referee. See you soon, Yang, great fight! Winter, it was a pleasure" He bowed again before walking back to the ring. All of them walked to the edge of the gym, and Winter was glad to finally have some breathing room.

"He's right kid, you did great. I think a celebration is in order. Wanna pay Glynda a visit?" Qrow asked with a smile before walking towards the door without waiting for them to follow. Ruby gasped and looked at Yang with wide eyes.

"Yang, Ice cream! Wait for me, Uncle Qrow!" Ruby whooped before racing off after Qrow, leaving Winter and Yang standing side by side. Yang used her teeth to untie the knots on her gloves, pulling them off as if there was acid on the inside of them. Yang held the gloves in her hands, looking at them in silence and her thumbs traced small lines in the material.

"Yang, I think we should get going. Doesn't ice cream sound good?" Winter thought it was a bit early for ice cream, but Yang looked like she needed a boost. Yang closed her eyes and opened her mouth to talk, but nothing came out.

"I can't do this…" Yang whispered, tears falling from her eyes and landing on the gloves. Her lip trembled and she gripped the gloves so hard Winter was afraid her nails would rip into them.

The words caught Winter off guard. Those were words she didn't think Yang would ever say about anything. Winter was about to open her mouth to say, well, _anything_. but Yang threw her gloves on the ground and ran as fast as she could past the old woman at the table and out of the gym, going further into the huge building without looking back…

Hey everyone! I know I usually post early in the morning but these were some long chapters and I wanted to make sure that everything was good and edited before I put them out there. So hopefully I've done that! Also this if the first time I've ever written any kind of a fight scene, so let me know what you guys think so I can do better next time. Thanks for being patient and thanks again for everyone still reading! Hope you enjoy!


	24. Chapter 24

_Crash, Crash, CRASH!_ Winter gulped as she walked down the long tall hallways of the building, terrified at the sight she might find. The building was home to tons of different small businesses, and Winters feet moved her quickly down the hall trying to check as many of these as possible. She was half expecting to see Yang destroying some poor man's candle business or something, but so far everybody she'd asked hadn't seen the blonde.

"Yang! Where are you?" Winter called as she turned another corner in this labyrinth of halls. The ceilings were at least thirty feet in the air and painted a dark black at a certain point. Even with the warm lights, Winter couldn't help but feel horribly small and anxious as her steps echoed all around her. "Yang…"

_CRASH_! The sound boomed through the halls louder than ever, making Winter jump about a foot in the air. Winter gulped, hoping that whatever was breaking wasn't _too_ valuable… On the bright side, she was pretty sure she knew where the noise was coming from now.

There was a small unmarked wooden door that sat at the end of a short, poorly lit side hallway. Winter looked at the door and seen it was hanging slightly ajar, and was almost positive it was the right place.

The hinges creaked loudly as Winter pushed the door open gently. It was a small room, probably a large janitor's closet. It was hard to tell because of all the destruction around the room. Brooms and mops snapped in half, rolls of toilet paper ripped to shreds, bottles of random chemicals had been thrown against the wall painting it a rainbow of colors that smelled like a mix between ammonia and lemons. The only thing Yang hadn't managed to break was a small metal cabinet. She'd only managed to flip that onto the ground and spill anything that had been on it on the ground.

But the most destroyed looking thing in the room was the small girl sitting in the corner of the room, hugging her knees with her forehead leaning against her knees while her shoulders trembled and shook.

Winter walked slowly, stepping over the destruction carefully, her eyes never leaving Yang. Winter kicked some toilet paper out of the way, making a small spot clear of debris for her to sit down and cross her legs. Winter looked around the room as she waited, the silence wrapping around them, almost strangling her. But Winter couldn't be the one to break it, so she endured.

"I- I didn't mean to… " Yang blubbered into her legs, hardly able to get the words out.

"I know you didn't" Winter gave Yang a sad smile, her heart felt tighter the longer she looked at the crying girl.

"When I get too mad, I- I sorta lose it" Yang looked up with tears still falling out of her eyes and sniffling. Yang chuckled lightly, failing to bring a smile to her lips as she tried to wipe her tears away, but more were quick to replace them.

Winter gave Yang a few minutes to pull herself together before she said anything else. Yang's tears never really went away, but they slowed. Her shoulders also stopped trembling as bad and she got her breathing under control.

"Why were you so mad? I know losing sucks, but you and I both lost to Ruby all night long in that game. Does it really make you this mad? Or is it something else?" Yang's gaze slowly fell to the ground, like she didn't really want to answer. Yang took a deep, shaky breath before she opened her mouth.

"I don't mind losing. Sometimes, it's even fun. Like, losing to Ruby is fun because it means she's getting better. But… I thought I would be good at this. I really hoped… " Yang's lip was quivering too much for her to keep going.

"Take your time" Winter said, giving Yang a warm smile as she reached out and squeezed the girls shoulder lightly. It took a few minutes for yang to compose herself again, but Winters smile never wavered.

Yang gave a long sigh, "OK. I hoped… I hoped, really really hoped, that I could be like my Dad"

"What do you mean?"

"See, my Dad was a really good boxer. Never professional or anything, but he'd been doing it forever. He took Ruby and I to all kinds of matches when we were little, and we never seen him lose, not even once" Yang was smiling ever so slightly now, her eyes alight as she remembered countless moments from times long past. Winter squeezed Yang's shoulder again, and Yang looked up at her with eyes that reminded her of a puppy that was lost in the street.

"Yang, I know it's hard for you to see now, but _you did great_. It was your first match and you were throwing punches like a champ! Yeah, you might have lost, but now you know where you're lacking and how to get better! Isn't that pretty cool? I know a certain sister that I know for sure agrees with me" Winter was grinning like Qrow and Ruby, trying her best to copy their energy, their charm, their warmth, trying her best to give even some of that energy to Yang now.

By some miracle, it must have worked, Because yang cracked an actual smile as her eyes lit up. "I guess you're right. If Ruby says I did good, I gotta believe her"

"Exactly. Sisters never lie to each other" Winter grinned at Yang, whose eyes were still far in the past. "You must've looked up to him" Yang didn't look shocked by the question, her smile growing bigger.

"Oh yeah, he was the best. He was funny, nice, and great at everything too. He started boxing when he was young, and he said he was always great at it" Yang was somber when she talked, but also excited like a young kid. Or Ruby.

"What do you think he'd say right about now?" Winter watched as Yang closed her eyes, her lip trembling again.

"It's not about taking a punch, it's about what you do after…" Yang sucked in a deep breath like she was in pain before she opened her eyes again. They were alive and bright, despite the tears. "Ugh, he and Mom had a saying for everything" Yang chuckled, rubbing the back of her head.

"My Mother was the same way, always seemed to know exactly what to say"

"Right! Maybe Moms are psychic or something?"

"I wouldn't doubt it. She always knew where I was, what I was doing, and if I was feeling sad she knew exactly how to cheer me up" Winter laughed, thinking about all the times her Mom would find her in the library crying and how easily she would cheer Winter up. In hindsight, some of the maids or chefs had probably told her Mom where she was hiding, but Winter liked to think it was because they were so close.

"Moms are like that I guess" Yang laughed, and Winter couldn't help but join in, the tension finally dispelled. Yang looked around the room, whistling as she finally got a good look at what she'd done, "I really did lose my cool, didn't I?" Yang gave a nervous chuckle as she stood up.

"Don't worry, we'll clean it up before we leave. Then you'll leave some money for the damage" Winter slowly got up off the ground, winking at Yang.

"But I don't have that kinda money!" Yang complained, her eyes popping out of her head.

"Then you're gonna need a loan from the international bank of Qrow" Winter laughed, patting her legs clean of dust.

"Ughhh, he's gonna be so maaad" Yang whined, her head falling down for a moment.

"I doubt it. More like he'll get mildly annoyed" Chuckled Winter as Yang's head flew right back up.

"Yeah, you're right" Yang was looking sheepishly at Winter, looking a lot more nervous than was normal, "Those gloves I had were actually my Dads from awhile back…God I hope they're still there"

"They aren't. I grabbed them before I came after you. Luckily your Uncle has some deep pockets" Winter smiled as she pulled the gloved from her back pocket, handing them to Yang.

Yang looked shocked, her mouth open ever so slightly. She reached out for them, but her hands stopped mid air. For some reason, Winter pictured Jaune. But the image faded as quickly as it had come, and Winter stepped forward and pushed the gloves into Yang's open hands.

Yang smiled as she looked down at the worn gloves, her thumbs tracing lines on them again. Yang pulled them up to her face and kissed them lightly before smiling at winter sheepishly, "Um, thanks. I know I shouldn't have lost my temper. So thanks for not getting mad. And for these. And for, you know, listening. It helped a lot" Yang looked down at the ground sheepishly, before opening up her arms, "Hug?"  
Winter felt warmth bubble up inside of her at the offer, feeling incredibly touched that Yang had opened up to her, "Of course" Winter wasn't usually one for hugs, but how could she say no to Yang?

Winter wrapped Yang in her arms and felt a kind of contentment that she hadn't known for a long, long time. It was a hug filled with warmth and smiles that could have made anyone feel better. Winters's hands went up and down Yangs back, trying to soothe the girl even half as much as Yang was soothing her.

Quickly Winter realized that something felt… wrong. Not with the hug or how she was feeling, but something actually _felt_ wrong. As Winter brought her hand up and down Yang's back, it didn't feel smooth like she expected, it felt like there were patches at random points all up and down her back. Winter could even feel bumps through the sports bra Yang was wearing, lightly tracing them with the tips of her fingers like she was touching broken glass.

Not only that, but something was tugging on the back of Winter's mind, forcing her to pull away from the warm hug. Winter looked at Yang, sweet, smiling Yang who looked completely happy in this moment. Winter didn't want that look to go away, but… She had to.

"Yang, can I see your back real quick?" Winter asked softly, pulling away from the hug.

"Sure, why?" Yang wondered, turning around without another word. All across Yang's back were pink lines, scars that appeared randomly up and down Yang's back. Some were thin, some were thick, some were long while others were short. There looked like there was more than a dozen of the scars, all of them looked mostly healed, probably years old. Guilt dug a whole in Winters stomach, _how could I not see these while Yang was boxing?_ She thought to herself as she traced the lines.

"What happened to your back, Yang?"

Yang turned around, a smile on her face, "Oh, those? When I was a kid I was petting a dog and when I went for his ears he got pretty mad at me! Got me real good!" Yang laughed, turning back around and shrugging like it was something that happened to everyone. "Ruby got it worse though" Yang smile turned into a grimace at the memory.

"So Ruby has scars like these too? And it was a dog?"

"Yup. Dog went from me to her, it eventually ran away before anything really bad happened. By the way, Uncle Qrow doesn't like talking about it, so could you try to not say anything about them in front of him?" Yang chuckled as she held up her finger to her lips.

"Of course…" Winter felt the guilt lift a bit from her belly, but something didn't exactly feel right. Not to mention there was one more question she had to ask…

"Yang… Earlier when you were talking about your Dad…" Winter started, her voice failing her as Yang raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah?"

"You were saying _was… _Is he…?" Winter couldn't bring herself to say it. Yang looked confused for a second, clearly not getting what Yang meant at first. But then she nodded, a small smile on her face as she looked down at the ground again.

"Um, yeah. It happened when I was nine. It was raining outside and it was dark. Mom and Dad went out on a date and they, um, they didn't come back… Not a great thing to wake up to!" Yang chuckled at Winter scratching the back of her head with a small grin, "The doctors said it was painless, so can't really ask for more than that!"

As much as Yang tried to hide it, Winter could see past the mask. Yang was smiling, but it was thin, only there to try and make Winter feel less awkward. She tried to make it seem like it was all in the past, like she was perfectly fine now, but inside she was probably hardly holding it together. Even then, she was probably only holding it together for her younger sister's sake. It was almost like looking in a mirror.

"Five years ago, my Mom got sick. We didn't think it was too bad at first, we were told she'd get over it quickly… She didn't. It was slow, but she always kept her smile. Eventually, it beat her… That was three years ago, and it still feels like it was yesterday. Yang, there isn't a day that goes by I don't feel like breaking down and wishing she was back. You're strong, but it's ok to be weak every now and then. And I need you to know, they are so proud of you and Ruby" Winter put her hand on Yang's arms as their eyes met, both of them full of sadness, but hope still glowed.

Yang's smile started to dip again as her lip trembled, her composure starting to fall apart again. A tear rolled down her face and Winter used her thumb to wipe it away, bringing Yang into another hug.

"Yaaang! Winteeerrr! Where are you guys?" They heard Ruby yell from down the hall.

"Ruby, people are working here" They heard Qrow scold.

"Oh, sorry"

"What? No, go and ask them if they've seen anything"

"Oh! Good idea, you're a genius Uncle Qrow!"

Yang and Winter looked at each other, chuckling lightly, "I think we've been gone for too long" Winter said as she checked her phone, finally seeing that Qrow had called and text her probably a thousand times since they'd disappeared. No reason Qrow and Ruby were looking for them!

"Only by a little bit! Um, are we still cleaning this up?" Yang gulped, looking at the chemicals drip down the wall.

"Oh yeah, sorry kid" Winter laughed, the answer made Yang sigh. Winter gestured to the door, Yang shook her head as she walked to the door, throwing it open.

"We're over here!" As Qrow and Ruby ran over to talk to her, Winter got a good long look at Yang's back. It felt good to learn more about the girl's past, but something didn't sit right with her. Mainly, there wasn't a dog alive that would leave claw marks like the ones on Yang's back…


	25. Chapter 25

"Yang, I can't believe you made such a mess! I can't get this stuff off the walls!" Ruby whined as she scrubbed a wet cloth on the rainbow-stained wall.

"Says the girl that flung spaghetti all over the couch last week! We had to flip the couch cushions over it was so bad!" Yang grunted with her tongue out as she threw toilet paper scraps into a garbage bag.

Winter sighed as she tried her best to tape a mop handle back together. She'd already fixed one broom pretty well, but for some reason this handle looked short and like it didn't exactly fit. Winter sighed as she tossed the mop to the side of the wall where it almost snapped in half again.

"Uncle Qroooow, why aren't you helping? We'd get done so much faster!" Ruby explained as she started to slap the wall with her rag, like she was trying to annoy the chemicals into coming off.

Qrow was leaned against the doorway, acting like a jailer who was keeping the girls locked up until their time was served, "Maybe it's because it's my wallet that's gonna be getting lighter from all this. So consider me a supervisor. Honestly, I don't know why you two are helping though. Figured you'd say this should b some sort of lesson, Win" Qrow complained as he nodded to Winter, who had started to help Yang pick up the last bits of shredded toilet paper.

"He's right ya know, you guys don't have to help. I did it, so I should clean it up" Yang sighed, guilt weighing her face down like a brick as she put the metal cabinet back in place.

"We're helping because you're family, Yang! Family always helps each other out!" Ruby beamed as she looked at Yang before turning and looking at Winter, who gave the brunette a small grin, but didn't say anything as she started to put whatever was salvageable back on the shelf.

"I'm not gonna let you do this by yourselves, of course I'm gonna help. Plus, I think she's learned her lesson" Winter had a small smile on her face as she turned to Yang and squeezed her shoulder lightly.

"If you insist" Qrow chuckled, but stayed put as he watched them clean the last bits of the mess.

"Are we done yet?" Ruby sighed as she walked away from the wall and set her chin on Yangs shoulder. Yang patted her sisters head and turned around looked at Winter.

"Is there anything else we can do? It looks… As good as it could" Yang said, patting her sisters head like she did Zwei.

Winter stood up slowly, rubbing her sore legs as she looked around the room. "All the garbage is in the bags, we fixed what we could, and we've been here for long enough, so I think we're done. Any objections?" Winter asked, looking at Qrow. He finally moved away from the wall and looked at every inch of the room.

He looked at the floor, the shelf, paused at the wall which still had a pretty strong stench to it, picked up Winters floppy mop handle, before silently nodding to himself.

He stopped at the recently unflipped cabinet and picked up a piece of paper that hadn't been ripped to pieces, and handed it to Yang along with a pen he'd pulled from seemingly nowhere, "After she writes the janitors an apology letter, I think we'll be good"

Yang looked at the paper for a second before she slowly took it in her hands. The paper might have been light, but it looked like it took a lot of strength for Yang to hold it. She took Qrows pen and walked over to the wall and slowly, methodically, started to write. It looked like Yang was making sure every word looked at good as she could before she moved on to the next one.

"Ok, how about this? _Hello Mr/Mrs Janitor, my name is Yang Xiao Long, and I'm really sorry about what I did to your closet. I lost my boxing match and got mad. I know it's not an excuse, but it's hard to stay in control when I get like that. My sister, my friend, and I tried our best to clean it up though! My uncle is also helping me out with some money to replace what we broke, I hope it's enough! I really am sorry, next time I see you I'll apologize again in person, promise, Yang_" Yang looked up with a smile.

"Perfect!" Ruby sang, jumping up and giving Yang a high five.

"Good enough. Hopefully they don't kick you out of here forever though" Qrow winked at her as he took the letter, folding it around a stack of money and putting it on the cabinet for the next janitor to find.

"Ha, they wouldn't do that… Right? Can they do that?" Yang questioned, eyes getting wider than ever as she looked from Winter to Qrow, "They can't do that, right? I pay to go here!"

"Actually, _I_ pay for you to go here, kid" Qrow chuckled as he left the small room.

"Yeah, so they can't kick me out, right?"

"I don't know Yang, you did break a lot of their stuff!" Ruby said, trying her best to sound serious while holding in giggles as she left the room.

"I mean, yeah, but I tried to fix it! And we gave them money to help replace everything!"

"_I _gave them money!" Qrow called from down the hall.

"You know what I mean! Winter, you don't think they're gonna kick me out of here, do you?" pled Yang, holding her hands together and looking like she was only a few seconds away from busting out into another fit of tears, and that was the last think Winter wanted.

"I doubt they'll kick you out of here. They might give you a talking to, but you tried to fix it and said you were sorry. So how angry could they be?" Winter gave Yang a warm smile, before waving her to the door, "Come on, let's get out of here. I think the chemicals are starting to get to me"

Yang gave Winter a warm smile before giving her a quick hug that was a bit too tight in the best way. "Thanks again, Winter" they both smiled and walked out of the room together, taking their time following after Qrow and Ruby. The silence between the two was nice, calming. Nothing else really needed to be said between the two right now, with only the sound of their steps filling the halls.

They hadn't made it far when out of the shadows came a pair of shimmering amber eyes and a thin smile. Bellas hands were in her pockets as she looked at Yang, not even glancing at Winter. It was pretty clear her smile was full of nerves and tension, like she was scared to talk. "I wanted to tell you that you-, uh, you did a great job earlier. You were… Fun to watch"

Bella might have been nervous at first, but when that goofy smile popped up on Yangs face, the tension left her face in a rush, with a light blush taking its place. Winter suddenly got the feeling that she was intruding.

"I'm glad you had fun! Wish I could've won though!" Yang chuckled nervously, lilac never leaving amber.

"I don't care about that. I hope you're feeling ok though, some of those punches looked like they hurt" The moment of concern triggered something in Yang, causing her to laugh and her smile double in size as she straightened her back and jumping up and down.

"I'm fine, A few punches aren't gonna keep me down for long!"

"Glad to hear it… Sorry, you're probably on your way out. It was good to meet you. Both of you" Bella finally looked up at Winter, and gave her a small nod, "Thank you again for earlier by the way" And like that she walked deeper into the facility and was gone.

Yang stood there with that dopey grin on her lips, eyes still looking where Bella had been. "Friend of yours?" Winter probed, a twinkle of mischief in her eyes. Yang suddenly blinked, like she was waking up from a sweet dream, her face cherry pink as she rubbed the back of her head.

"Uh, no, never seen her before. Must've come from another class or something. Come on, or Ruby and Qrow are gonna get worried again!" Yang fast walked away, leaving Winter in her dust. Winter walked after her, wondering if she was gonna be seeing more of that particular stranger.

**Authors note**

**Hey everyone, another week another post! Thanks again to everyone who's still reading this! I know my post times have been a bit erratic, but with school and work it can be a bit tough to get everything done in time. But I'll always post at least one chapter every week, so no worries! Hope you guys enjoy!**


	26. Chapter 26

"What took you guys so long! We have ice cream to get!" Ruby creid, waving her arms like a featherless bird at the entrance.

"Actually kid, all the ice cream funds went to the janitors, so home for now" Qrow shrugged. Ruby stopped moving and turned to Qrow with pouty lips and puppy dog eyes.

"Please Uncle Qrow, Yang did so good!" Ruby pleaded with a face that would've broken Winters will in an instant. Qrow, in a small attempt to resist, didn't even look at his niece. His head was turned away and he was already walking out the door.

"Nope, sorry, kid. Next time for sure"

"But you haven't even seen my face! It'll make you say yes for sure!" Ruby whined as she tried to run in front of Qrow, who kept turning his head away at the perfect time.

"Yeah, that's why I'm not looking!" Qrow growled, walking with his eyes closed. If winter hadn't grabbed his shoulders and moved him, he would've walked right into a car.

"That's not fair! It's like asking a knight to fight without her sword! What kind of a fight would that be?" Ruby held up in invisible sword, pointing it at Yang, who held up her own and started to duel Ruby.

"Pretty sure that's what I do, Ruby" yang laughed as she ducked out of the way of Rubys strike. Ruby was too busy setting up another attack to see Yang winch and lightly grab at her side before walking it off.

"Oh. Then I guess it would be a pretty fun fight!"

"You know, for invisible swords, your techniques aren't too bad" Winter smiled as she grabbed Qrows shoulder, letting her direct him the right way to the truck. Ruby let out a gasp turning to Winter as Yang slashed at her throat. Ruby, naturally, grabbed at her throat and gave the most convincing death she could while walking.

"Winter, were you a knight?" Ruby wondered with stars in her eyes.

"No, but I did fence for a few years" Winter chuckled as Ruby's eyes fell for a second before lighting right back up.

"That's so cool! Not knight levels of cool, but pretty close!" Ruby grinned, "Uncle Qrow, can I fence?"

"Ruby, that sounds like one of those things you get really into for a few weeks before you never touch it again"

"You're at the car by the way" Winter told him as she giggled at Ruby's totally shocked face, her mouth open as she looked between everyone standing around her. Qrow finally opened his eyes with the door, sliding in before closing the door on everyone else.

"Actually, Ruby… You totally do" Yang admitted as she opened up the passenger door for her sister.

"Like what? When have I ever done that?" Ruby gaped as she slid next to Qrow.

"Cooking, swimming, dance, candle making" Yang started as she climbed into the car, counting fingers as she went.

"Oh, don't forget about that one week she was really into becoming a detective, snooping all over the place, trying to find cases! I still have nightmares about her jumping out of my closet in the middle of the night" Qrow laughed as they pulled out of the parking lot with a jolt, Winters seat belt still in her hand.

"Ok, so maybe, once and awhile, I like trying out new hobbies! Is that so wrong?" Ruby complained as she stuck her tongue out.

"I don't think there's anything wrong with it, Ruby. I think it shows that you're mind is very active and you're willing to try new things" Winter smiled as she tried her best to get her seatbelt in the slot as they moved down the road a bit too fast, her hands shaking so much they were blurry.

Too quickly Qrow slowed down, turning off the main road and into another parking lot, into a gas station, "What are we doing here?" Winter asked, her pulse starting to race as she looked out her window.

"Gas, we're running low. You guys want anything?" Qrow questioned as he stepped out of the car.

"Candy please!" Ruby smiled as she jumped out of the car after him.

"I'm good" Yang admitted her voice still heavy with guilt. Qrow reached in and smiled at her, patting her on the head gently.

"I'll get you that pop you like. How about you, Snowflake?" Qrow was talking to Winter, but she didn't hear him. Her eyes were pulled out of the truck and out to about twenty feet in the air, watching as a sign spun in slow, hypnotic circles, captivating her. Hanging over all of their heads was the name of the gas station, _her_ name, _Schnee_.

Winter felt her chest rise and fall, but she couldn't feel even the faintest hints of air reach her lungs. If felt like she was choking on something, but couldn't figure out what. She tried to swallow, but that only seemed to make it worse. Her hands were suddenly shaking even worse than when the car was moving. Everything sort of seemed to slow down, but at the same time felt like it was speeding up and crashing in on her all at once. An image of her father's piercing blue eyes flashed across her imagination, and her felt herself flinch and gulp, waiting for his retribution. For his rage… But it never came.

"Winter? You want anything or not?" Qrow asked again, hardly cutting through the mist that was twisting around her mind.

"N-No. Thank you though" Winter stuttered, trying her best to give a smile. Qrow looked at her suspiciously for a second before he shrugged and walked off to pay. Ruby grabbed the gas pump and was playing with it while Yang chased after her sister and tried to get her to put the hose down.

Looking up at the sign again, Winter couldn't help but think of the last time she'd really seen that name, their company logo. She was used to seeing it all over the place in Atlas, from gas stations, military weapons, to snack foods, the Schnee name was ever present in Atlas. But Vale was another story. For one reason or another, her father's reach was at least slightly shorter here, which she was suddenly grateful for.

Winter looked at the girls, noticing for the first time that Yang had joined Ruby outside. Why didn't they said anything to her? Why hadn't Qrow? Winter felt light headed and like she was about to vomit. Realization was slow, but it came, had she ever told them her last name?

She couldn't think of a moment when she'd told the girls, but Qrow? She was positive he'd seen something with her name on it on all the paperwork from her company. Or, had he? If he did know, why wouldn't he say anything to her about it? Isn't that what someone would do in that situation? Ask if you were from one of the richest families in the world?

Winter looked at Qrow as he walked out of the store, looking down at his phone as he walked without a care in the world. _Would he say anything?_ Winter wasn't sure. Suddenly the image of Yangs back came racing into her mind and as much as Winter hated it… She had no idea what this man was capable of. Did she even know him?

She looked at how he talked to Yang and Ruby, how he joked with them, laughed with them, smiled, and loved them… The thought that all of that could be fake, could be some kind of an illusion… It scared her a lot more than some stupid sign did.

Qrow opened the door letting Yang and Ruby pile in, with candy and pop in their hands. Qrow got in and gave Winter a small grin as he started the truck up, "I know you said you didn't want anything, but I couldn't resist" He chuckled as he held out a can to her. Winter seen it was labeled Snowflake Shake! She'd never heard of it, but a smile grew on her face without her realizing. She reached out to take it, her hand touching his for a moment. After the past few minutes of inner turmoil and terror that had flooded Winters mind, it was the butterflies that sprang up in her belly when her hand touched his that truly terrified her to her absolute core.


	27. Chapter 27

Winter let the pouring water drown out her thoughts, not even trying to put up a fight. She let everything that had collected in her mind spiral down the drain with the grime and shampoo. After the last two days, she could honestly say she'd never felt more of a need of a shower. It wasn't the fact that it had been two days since she'd last showered or because of all the non-stop social interaction. It was because it felt like she had learned more about the Ruby, Qrow, and Yang especially, in that time then the past few weeks combined. Winter also knew it was more like one day, but since she was with the family for the end of a day and the start of the next, she was counting it as two. Sue her.

She learned little things, like how Ruby and Yang always fight but will gladly fall asleep in each others arms, how Ruby is apparently amazing at video games, and that Qrow works in a shop. How Maria was a member of the family, though she was still a pretty big mystery to Winter. How caring and Qrow was with his nieces, but at the same time… Those scars.

Winter covered her eyes with her hands and groaned, shaking her head and flinging water and suds all over the shower walls. She started to rinse her hair, the smell of her flowers filling her nose as the suds popped and ran down her skin, a sense of calm coming over her again, but she knew it wouldn't last for long.

She turned off the water and started to dry off, her thoughts coming back to how quickly she had left the day before. They'd pulled into the house and Winter had ran up to grab her clothes and then tried to give everyone a quick goodbye. Then a longer goodbye when Ruby hit her with the puppy dog eyes. Then an even longer goodbye when Yang hit her with a bear hug that she couldn't have possibly broken out of. She only managed to get away after promising that she was definitely coming for their next game night.

Winter hadn't even realized that she was dressed and with a tight bun on her head she was so lost in thought. She smiled as she realized that her bun was perfect for once, without a single piece of hair out of place! Maybe she needed to get lost in thought more often when she did her hair?

She was out the door without even attempting to make breakfast, content to grab an apple for the road. She made a mental note that she needed to go grocery shopping again later. She still had no clue how she ran out of food so quick, does she really eat that much or is there some kind of goblin stealing her food?

"Hey Earl, how are you?" Winter asked as she walked into the lobby, trying to pull out her keys. Earl didn't look up at her, his eyes still on his book.

"Fine. Already beat a few puzzles today, but this ones giving me some trouble. Five across, something sweet, starts with an _S_. Where have you been?" Earl questioned, his tone light and vacant like he didn't really care, but Winter seen his eyes pop up when he asked.

"Stayed the night at a friends house, nothing like that. What about sugar?" Winter assured him with a smile as she pulled her keys out of her bag only to see him with his book down.

"Sugar? _Sugar?_ How could I not think of that!" Earl groaned as he scribbled it down in his book, "Ya just missed Tyrion. He asked about ya" Winter sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose.

"That guy's gotta calm down, I really don't like him"

"Trust me, nobody does. Well, you have a good day. Stay safe out there" he nodded to her with a soft smile.

"You to, Earl" Winter waved as she left, her keys rattling as she went.

The drive to work was slow, and she was glad to be able to listen to a few more songs on the radio. She wished she could remember the names of the songs, but it was good enough to let their tones wash over her. But her mind wouldn't settle, even with the music jumping in the background and as she slowly bit into her crisp apple. This time another man popped into her head, .

It felt like the blink of an eye she was in the elevator. Then she was walking into the waiting area and headed right for Amy, who was already up and around her desk, "So what happened? You spent the night, right? Did sparks fly! Ooh, I knew it would happen!" Amy talked like a machine gun, firing questions at the speed of sound. She grabbed Winters hands and started to spin around, dragging Winter along for the ride.

"Nothing- Like- That!" Winter sputtered out as her vision started to get blurry and her empty stomach started to turn and twist. Amy stopped spinning and Winter started to wobble, her vision hazy and her stomach still doing loops. Amy put her hands on her shoulders, keeping her steady, but Winter was pretty sure that wasn't what she was trying to do.

"What do you mean? You didn't… Ya know?" Amy wondered with a tilted head, looking at Winter in an almost sad way. Winter wasn't 100% positive, but she was pretty sure she'd never wanted to disappear from somewhere faster than right now. Oh, her face also felt hot enough to cook eggs on, so that was fun.

"We didn't… Do that. Amy, I've told you, I don't even like him like that!" Winter cried as Amy sighed and let her go.

"Here I thought you had some drama to share with the class…" Amy frowned, her posture looking like a limp noodle as her arms dangled at her sides lifelessly. Winter groaned as she looked at her sad friend, getting reminded all too much of a sulking Ruby. She put her hand on Amy's shoulder in a stiff sort of way, not really sure what to say.

"I just… He's really cute. But I'm not sure about a lot of stuff, ya know?" Winters words were short and full of uncertainty, barely scratching the surface of what she was really thinking, but Amy lit up like she'd given a prize winning speech.

"Oh, I totally get it! Guys are weird on the best of days! Plus he basically has kids, so that's another thing to consider. But, hey, you don't get to choose who you like, right? I mean, we all remember our first loves, right?" Amy laughed as she winked at Winter with a grin. But when Winter looked away, not joining in on the laughter, and Amy's smile became hesitant. "You have had a first love, right?" Amy timidly asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Winter had been wrong before, she wanted to disappear now a heck of a lot more than before. She tried to think of something to say, an actual answer, any word at all from the English language, but they all escaped her grasp. Instead she stood there, glancing between Amy and the ground, shrugging.

"Oh Hun, it's OK, nothing to be embarrassed about. All it means is you have a few less embarrassing stories being held over your head. Plus, a few less broken hearts. Now, come here" Amy smiled as she gently, yet sternly, pulled Winter into a sweet hug. It was caring and warm, a lot like Yang's hugs, but a lot more nurturing. Flashes of her mom came into her mind, of late nights, scraped knees, and tears running down her face after her father would get particularly angry with her. She wrapped her arms around Amy, and forgot about all the embarrassing things, stress, indecision and simply existed in the moment.

"Am I interrupting something?" came a deep voice from behind the two girls, followed by a light chuckle. Winter turned around and jumped about a foot in the air, almost taking Amy with her, before she turned around. Standing there with his back straight as an arrow was with a thin smile on his face and a glint in his eye.

"No Sir! Nothing at all!" Winter stuttered out, trying to collect herself while her heart pounded in her chest.

"We're talking about crushes" Amy smiled as she wrapped her arm around Winters neck so she couldn't escape, but boy did she try.

"Is that true?" He wondered as he watched Winter struggle, his smile growing the longer it went on. Finally managing to free herself from the receptionists surprisingly hard grip, Winter made sure her bun was still in decent shape before she talked.

"Uh… Yes" Winter gulped while Amy laughed and slapped her knees.

"Come on James, it's a little girl talk, nothing major" Amy smiled, patting Winter on the back lightly, who took a step away to avoid getting imprisoned again. shrugged and nodded at them.

"As long as it's not too interesting" He winked before patting Winter lightly on the shoulder. The second he touched her was like someone flipped a switch, and she remembered Qrow, Yang, and what she felt like she had to tell her boss.

Before she knew what was going on he was already walking back to his office and Amy was talking again, "I hope something comes from it, you deserve to be happy, Win" Amy grinned, but the words went right over Winters head.

"Yeah, of course. Uh, I have to talk to real quick actually" Amy looked confused, but nodded with understanding. Winter smiled and walked quickly back to his office.

She hadn't gotten far when she felt something vibrate in her bag. Winter dug around in her bag and pulled out her small phone and answered it without even looking at who had called, "Hello?" she answered quickly, but there was silence on the other line, "Is anyone there?"

"Hey, Win" Weiss said softly, taking Winter by surprise.

"Weiss? What's going on? Is everything OK?" Winter asked without thinking, her sisterly instinct taking over, realizing Weiss had never called at this time before.

"Everything fine, don't worry. It's been awhile, I was calling to see how you're doing actually" Weiss admitted, her voice was quiet and without much humor.

"Oh, yeah, I've been busy the past few days is all. Guess I forgot to call" Winter gave a slight chuckle as she stepped into her office, locking the door behind her.

"Winter, I was worried" Weiss admitted, and Winter could picture her sister pouting, and all her laughter stopped as her heart sunk painfully.

"Sorry, Weiss. I really did forget. It won't happen again"

"Promise?" Winter could hear the silent pleading in her sisters voice, and knew that she would never, _ever_, break her promise.

"Promise" Winter said without a hint of hesitation, filling the word with all the conviction she could. After a second, Weiss let out a small sigh of contentment.

"Well, good. Because I know you would get upset if I disappeared off the face of the map for a few days without telling you" Weiss laughed lightly, taking some of the weight off Winter chest.

"Yeaaah, I probably would. Don't get any ideas though" Winter chuckled as she laid down on the couch, a light smile on her face, "How has tutoring been going? Has been treating you well?"

The silence on the other end didn't bode well, only lasting a few seconds, but a feeling of anxiety still managed to sprout in Winters chest, "It's been going fine, I guess. You were right, she's really tough, but I can handle it… I'm actually hiding in your secret room right now"

"Really? You didn't have any trouble finding it, did you?" Winter wondered, knowing how long it had taken her to find it for the first time.

"It took me a good bit of looking the first day. Had to explain to some maids that I was looking for a button. Don't think they believed me, but they won't say anything… Hopefully" Weiss chuckled lightly, "Oh, and your taste in music? Not that bad"

"What did I even have in there? It's been awhile since I went there"

"Some rock, pop, a little country. Not a huge fan of the country, but everything else I like a lot. How'd you get these anyway?" Winter could hear her sister flipping the plastic cases around the room. If memory serves correct, Winter had probably left somewhere between fifteen and twenty random CD's in the room, and could picture all the covers perfectly. The names didn't really matter to her, but the art and the noise, those helped her out of her bad days almost as much as Weiss herself did.

"Mom and Klein always went out and got them for me. I asked for one when I'd listened to the last one about a hundred times, but sometimes they would surprise me with a new one out of the blue" Winter smiled, remembering all the times she'd walk into her room and see a new case sitting on her pillow, or when she'd have a bad day and Klein would have her help with the groceries only for the last one to be a new CD for her.

"Hm, maybe I should ask him to start bringing in some more?"

"I'm sure he wouldn't mind, you know him" Winter chuckled, remembering their bald butler who was the kindest man Winter had ever met in her life.

"Sometimes he cares too much, remember the incident with the lobster?"

"That was your fault and you know it!" The two of them went back and forth, reminiscing and remembering good memories for longer than they probably should've. By the time they hung up, Winter felt relaxed, like she'd woken up from a good nap.

Her mind inevitably drifted back to Qrow, and how every time she'd seen him talk to those girls, it reminded her a lot of how Klein talked to her and Weiss. Every word, every action, was filled with heart, love, and filled with the want to help them. Those girls had been through a lot, and it seemed pretty clear he wanted to help them and how much he cared for them.

She knew that she should tell , but did she really want to risk the girls getting taken away from him like that? No. Not until she was sure. She'd find out more, and the second she knew the full story, she was going to … Now all she had to do was get the rest of the story.

**Authors note:**

**This is the only chapter for this week sadly, but hopefully you guys like it!**

**Also, I know I'm having Winter not report this, but that's just for narrative purposes and because it works for the story. But this isn't what you should do in real life. If you ever think anyone might be a victim of abuse, please immediately report it to the proper channels as soon as you can. Just had to put this small PSA here.**


	28. Chapter 28

28.

The rest of Winter's day had gone by relatively smoothly. She'd had a few new patients and a few old ones, all of them were pretty interesting, There was one boy who was narcissistic and really into himself who was forced to see her because of his mother, Mercury had come in again but didn't listen to a word she had to say and admitting to another fight, then a girl who had a hard time saying no to people. Apparently one of her friends joked around and asked her to steal a car. Then she did. Nobody had pressed charges, but the parents thought it was a good idea to try and break this little habit of hers.

Overall, a pretty easy day in the grand scheme of things. But she was definitely ready to head home. Winter leaned back in her chair, cracking her back with a groan of pleasure. She felt the aches in her back disappeared and went limp from relaxation, leaning back in her chair with her legs sprawled out below her.. She'd tried to use the beanbags again, and the kids all seemed to have really liked it, but her back was thick with knots after a few hours. In her mind it was worth it for the kids.

Winter laid like that, her eyes closed, for a solid ten minutes. The sounds of the city barely reached her window, but the sounds were clear even from this height if you listened. Groaning, Winter sat back up and finished up typing up a report, her eyes watching as the sun sank below the horizon, creating a beautiful mosaic of color that Winter was forced to look at every few seconds. It took her awhile longer to do her report than normal, but hey, those colors were pretty distracting. _Maybe I should paint the apartment to look like a sunset?_ Winter thought as she powered down her computer and pushed in her chair. The idea was quickly shot down though, _Weiss probably wouldn't like it_.

Soon enough, Winters computer was off and she was closing the door to her office behind her. The halls were quiet, vacant of children and other psychologists alike, even Amy had already left for the day.

The waiting room looked like a small tornado ad gone through it, with crayons, books for reading and coloring, and a few random toys were thrown all around the floor and tables. Winter was pretty sure that the cleaning crew would be around in a few hours to clean it up, but she couldn't help but bend down and straighten out a few things. "The kids always leave such a mess, don't they?" She heard a voice asked from behind her. For once, voice didn't shock her, but brought a light smile to her face.

"I think that making messes are in their nature. Whenever I have younger kids in my office, half of them always try to throw toys out the window. The other half always get a bit too curious about what's in the beanbags" Winter chuckled as she picked up a few crayons off the floor. She turned and seen at the other side of the room on his knees, trying his best to get something from under the chairs.

"That's nothing. One of my first patients was a boy who ripped every piece of paper he could get his hands on to shreds before trying to eat them. Writing reports was a hassle for that one" He chuckled as he tossed the crayons into the bucket. "We sure picked an odd field to get into, didn't we?" His face was full of levity, with a charming grin that she'd never seen on his face before. He looked like he was at ease as he took a seat in one of the chairs.

"I guess so. But I never pictured myself doing anything different" She admitted, taking a seat a few chairs away from him, her hands resting comfortably on her lap. He turned to her, his natural poker face made it hard to tell exactly what he was thinking.

"That's a shock to hear. With your family's business, I feel like most kids in your situation would grow up dreaming of being like their father" He talked in a very soft way, not pushing her to answer,but clearly curious. Winter knew she didn't have to respond, but his soft caring voice made it impossible not to explain. If it wasn't clear before now, this made it pretty damn crystal clear that this guy was incredible at his job.

Winter shook her head slowly, "Not me. Father's company was always that. Fathers. He always wanted me to take it over, trained me to, tried to send me to school for it, but I never wanted that. I did as I was told and nothing else. Then, my sister came into the picture. Suddenly, nothing else really mattered. I skipped classes to play with her, day dreamed about her during my tutoring, and snuck her out of the manor as much as possible to get her a taste of the real world" Winter suddenly got quiet, she'd never told anyone this before. Even her mom didn't really know this story… But, she felt like it was time to say it aloud. "Then one day, she looked really sad and didn't wanna talk. She didn't talk for a full week…" Winters voice slowed down as she remembered those dark days.

Weiss had always been fragile, not that she'd ever admit it. Winter was positive father had said something to her sister, something bad. Weiss had shut down. It was probably the scariest thing that had ever happened to Winter, and on top of that she had to sit their and do nothing. Doing nothing, well, it made her sick to her stomach. So, she decided not to be useless.

"I ended up going to the library and reading as many psychology books as I could get my hands on. I tried everything I read, and eventually, it worked. She talked again." Winter looked at , his gentle smile more than enough encouragement to keep talking. "Ever since then, the only thing I wanted to do… Was this" Winter chuckled, scratching the back of her head, feeling her heart thumping. It wasn't nerves, anxiety, embarrassment, or anything bad like that. It was from excitement, confidence in her choice, knowing that she was in the right place. It was the first time she'd really felt like she'd bet on the right thing.

"Well, if it means anything, I think you're right where you belong" leaned over and gently put his hand on her shoulder, squeezing the perfect amount so she felt cared for. As his hand fell, he looked down at the ground, and the air changed. He put his hands on his knees and took a deep breath "By the way, that family you've been visiting… Had there been any, issues?" His voice sounded a lot less confident than she was used to hearing, which was pretty dang odd.

"W-What do you mean?" Winters words stumbled out of her mouth quickly, nervously. _Does he already know?_ Winter thought as her leg started to bounce without her consent.

"Any strange behaviors? Does the guardian ever go off by himself for awhile and come back… Different?" His head was still hung low and he wouldn't meet her eyes, like he didn't really want to have this conversation.

"No, nothing like that. Why do you ask?" She wondered, trying to think of any reason he would ask that. Sure, Qrow was a little… Ok, a lot weird. But going off by himself and coming back different, whatever that meant? He'd never done anything like that while she'd been around. He was always with the girls and was almost always in a good mood.

"Professional curiosity, I suppose. Keep an eye out, and tell me if you see anything like that" He sighed, voice had equal parts concern and relief infused in it. Everything about this talk was odd for him. Winter wasn't used to being so concerned. "Shouldn't you be getting home? It's late"

Winter nodded, looking out the window, it was already well past dark. How long had they been talking? Suddenly Winter felt exhaustion crawl up her back and start to close her eyes without her permission. "Yeah, guess I should. What about you?" Winter yawned, standing up and stretching her legs. stood up, back straight as always, with his arms folded behind his back as per usual.

"I have a few more things to wrap up here, but you go home and have a nice night. See you next week, Winter" His eyes looked tired, but he tried his best to give her a smile as he nodded before turning back and walking slowly back to his office.

Winters stomach felt off and she wasn't sure if it was from excitement from the first part of their conversation, nerves from the tail end, or the sense of loneliness that had gripped her without her realizing it as he walked away. "Goodnight, …" She almost whispered, knowing she was too late for him to hear her.

Winter stood in the office like a statue, hardly even breathing as she let the silence spread like an illness. It was funny, her apartment felt the same way.

The elevator dinged as it opened, revealing two random businessman standing on opposite sides of the elevator, both of their eyes were glued to their phones, not even looking up at her as she walked in. Winter leaned against the back of the elevator, trying her best to be equidistant from the two of them. "Um, how was your day today?" Winter asked the one to her left, trying her best to sound excited with a forced smile at him.

He looked up at her with a look of confusion at first, but that quickly shifted into a look of annoyance. He huffed at her angrily, before turning even farther away from her. He reminded her of a pouting child. _Jesus, I was just trying to make a little conversation._ Winter thought, deciding that the guy to her left was officially a tool.

She looked at the guy to her right, and caught his gaze for a second before his eyes went back to his phone. Probably the biggest 'please don't talk to me' signal she'd ever received since her father's legendary glares.

The two of them scurried like cockroaches out of the elevator the moment it opened, and Winter couldn't help but groan. She was a therapist, wasn't talking to strangers supposed to come easily to her or something?

The night air was starting to cool off and it bit at her in the best ways, and was exactly what Winter needed. It fought against the exhaustion, opening her eyes wide, letting the city lights dance in her eyes. The honking cars and grinding breaks, the sound of ongoing conversations from passerbyers was better than the radio, and the smell of pretzels filled her nose as she took a deep breath. The city felt like it was alive in this moment, and it felt like her friend.

Winter looked and noticed a small cart down the block selling pretzels and she felt her stomach grumble, and remembered that she'd only really eaten an apple today. _I really should start packing lunches…_ Was the only thing that filled her mind as she walked aimlessly to the pretzel stand, her stomach guiding her.

She made it about three steps before a door swung open in front of her, coming about an inch away from hitting her in the face, "Shit!" She yelled, jumping back and grabbing at her nose, trying to feel if it had been smashed. "What they heck's you're problem!" She screeched after making sure her nose was still in one piece.

"My problem? What's your problem! I've been out here for over an hour waiting for you to get out! I thought I you'd already left!" An all too familiar voice growled at her in annoyance.

"Qrow?" Winter asked, astonished, "What are you doing here?" Qrows legs came into view and he quickly pulled himself out of his car. It wasn't the normal red pickup truck though, instead it was a slick black car that looked like something the star of a movie might drive. Honestly, it wouldn't shock her to hear if that was why he'd gotten it.

"I tried to call you, but apparently you're worse at picking up your phone than Ruby is. Come on, we're gonna be late!" Qrow waving her into the car. Winter took a step back and rubbed her temples which were starting to hurt.

"I'm sorry, but again, why are you here?" She cried in confusion and anger. A few strangers looked at her, but she glared at them and they all ran away a lot quicker than they'd come.

"You don't work on the weekend, right?"

"No, but that doesn't-"

"I'll get you home before you know it, but please trust me, you're gonna have fun, but we have to go" Qrow got into the car and starting it up. The roar that came out of it as the key turned was, um, a little cool, but that's besides the point!

"So I don't get to know what we're doing though?" Winter sighed.

"It's a surprise, but you're gonna like it… Hopefully" Qrow tried to assure her. Winter weighed the options, but the exhausted she'd been feeling only a few minutes ago was already long gone. She also didn't have anything going on tomorrow, so she could afford to be a bit tired.

"Do I have time to go home and change first?" Winter whined, suddenly all too aware of how stiff her outfit felt. Qrow looked at his watch, his thumb tapping the steering wheel quickly like a metronome.

"Do you live close to here?" Qrow grunted, and it looked like he was biting his lip a little. He really didn't want to be late to, well, whatever she was getting dragged to.

"Yeah, a few minutes away. I'll take my car and-"

"No time, get in and tell me where to go. We'll be in and out, then we'll go" Qrow talked fast and clearly, this wasn't someone that was taking no for an answer.

"What about my car?"

"We'll get it later! It's in the parking garage, right? It'll be fine, even if we get it in the morning" a hand went through Qrows hair, "Well, are you coming?"

Winter hesitated for a second, not sure what to do. words were in the back of her mind, this was the first time that she'd ever really seen Qrow away from the girls, and she had no idea what to expect. Maybe she should be scared, especially after ominous questions, knowing about the scars, ebing really alone with him for the first time… But if she was being honest, it was hard to fight the smile that was blooming on her face. In fact, she didn't even try to fight it. Her heart was beating fast in the best way, she wasn't scared, she was _excited_. Maybe that was wrong, she had no idea, but there was only one way to find out.

"Yeah, let's go" Winter beamed as she climbed into the car, curiosity and excitement were filling her to the brim. The second the door closed, Qrow was whisking her down the road, to where? She had no idea. But she couldn't have been more eager to find out.

**Authors note-**

**So from here on I think I'm just gonna post one chapter, but I'm gonna make that chapter longer. So overall it's gonna be about the same! Hope you guys are still enjoying, because this is a lot of fun to write! Thanks again to everyone that's still here!**


	29. Chapter 29

Winter had been in the city for a good while now, and she thought she had a pretty good grasp of how most people drove in the city. Most of the time the city streets were bogged down with traffic, but once and awhile you might get lucky and find the streets clear, in which case she might be able to go the speed limit. So, sitting in Qrows passenger seat, going fifteen over the speed limit in a packed city, she wasn't sure if she was the one who drove wrong or if Qrow was. Actually, scratch that. Qrow was speeding and driving recklessly.

The sound of a car horn blared somewhere to Winters right as Qrow passed them, but Qrow acted like he didn't even notice and left the sound in the dust. Winters right hand was gripping the side of the door so tightly she was a little scared she might rip into the leather, while her left hand was grabbing the handle above her head. Her legs were pulled up to her chest in a vain attempt to try and feel like she wasn't a moment away from death. Yes, she was wearing her seat belt. No, it didn't feel like nearly enough.

Winter closed her eyes tight as Qrow drifted into a right turn, cars all around them were laying on their horns as he drove off without a second thought, "What am I doing next?" Qrow asked in a calm voice, his left hand on the wheel while his right hand rested comfortably on his knee like he was driving in the country.

"L-L-Left on fifty-second" Winter stuttered out, her words shaken by the bumps and cracks in the road. Qrow looked away from the road and at her, a confused look on his face. "Eyes on the road!" She snapped the moment his eyes met hers. He grinned, not complaining as he looked and started to glide into another turn, his car roaring like a lion trying to show off.

"I'm shocked, Snowflake, that's not the prettiest part of town. What's someone like you doing over there?" He wondered, his voice dripping with curiosity and sarcasm.

"Cheap rent. Good location" After you boiled it down, that really was the whole reason she ended up there. _Earl's a pretty good reason to stay though_, Winter thought with a smile. Then she was thrown forward as Qrow slammed on the breaks, she felt the seat belt strain with the momentum, her fingers locked, trying their best to keep her from flying out the windshield. He put the car in park and shut off the engine, but Winters hands still refused to budge. "Jesus…" She whispered under her breath.

"Fair enough. Same reason I got the house actually. This is it, right?" Qrow probed as he pointed at the gross red, greed, rusted brown building with a look of worry. Winter collected herself, slowly releasing each and every one of her fingers before she felt ready to talk again.

"Yeah, this is home" Winter leaning back in the seat with her legs sprawled in front of her, her arms and legs felt limp after being tense for so long.

The leather was actually pretty comfortable, and smelled really nice now that she could appreciate it without the fear of death in the she'd died and gone to heaven?

"Looks, cozy, I guess. Well, you get what you pay for. Alright, be quick. Remember, in and out" Qrow stressed as he leaned back in his own seat, pulling out his phone.

"You aren't coming in?" Winter asked as a tint of sadness started spreading through her like a drop of food coloring in a glass of water.

"You want me to come in?" He asked sarcastically, as if there was any other way for him to answer. Winter felt herself pout, annoyance starting to sprout inside of her.

"Maybe I didn't want you to sit in the car bored by yourself, OK? Now come on, you're the one that's in a rush" Winter chastised as she stepped out of the car onto wobbly legs with Qrow following right after. Winter knew she was being a bit short with him, but it was late, she was sleepy, and he was planning to drag her to some mystery location, so it seemed pretty reasonable to her.

"By the way, is your building…?"

"Tilted? Yeah, I think so. Put some oranges on my table one day and they all rolled to one side" Winter sighed, she had to buy a bowl to keep all of her round fruit from falling off her counter. Qrow started to chuckle, and she wasn't sure if it was from her story, or from her pouting face. Either way, Winter couldn't help it, and she had to join in. The two of them had big smiles on their faces as they walked into the lobby.

Normally, Earl didn't look up from his book until Winter came close to his desk. That was simply the way the world worked. But the moment they walked in, there was a change in the air, and the book was down like lightning. His eyes were dancing between Qrow and her, looking like he was trying to dissect every minute detail of how they were walking together.

"Hey Earl, how are you?" she questioned politely, hoping he wouldn't drag this out for too long.

"Doing fine, Winter. Who's your friend?" He pointed at Qrow, an unreadable expression on his face.

"Earl, this is my… um, friend, Qrow. Qrow, this is my landlord, Earl." Winter slugged through the introduction, trying her best not to be super awkward and failing. Earl went from looking at Winter with a gentle smile, to looking at Qrow with a dark smile on his face. The kind of look a predator had when stalking its prey.

"Qrow, eh? Good to meet ya. I trust you're treating her right?" Earl stood up and held out his hand. Qrow walked up to him with a much more relaxed expression, and took Earls hand.

"Nice to meet ya, Earl. Don't worry about her, I'm treating her fine. If I wasn't, I know a few people that would give me hell" He chuckled, but his face looked a lot more strained than it had been a second before. Earls face looked pretty tense too as a matter of fact.

While it might look like the two of them were having a simple handshake, Winter knew better. Her father had told her many times about how important a first handshake between men was. It wasn't a greeting, it was a battle of wills and dominance. Threw a few subtle cues that any good man should know, you could tell a lot about someone, or at least that's what her father had told her. At this moment, she knew he'd been right, and how it was on full display between these two. Winter could see both of their hands trembling with how much force they were both using, both of them still with gentle smiles on their faces. Winter was scared, and glad it wasn't her hand they were crushing.

When they let go of each other, both of them looked rather pleased as they rubbed their hands slightly and nodded to the other. Winter wasn't sure why, but it looked like they'd worked something out. She had no idea _what_ they had worked out, but at least it was over.

"We're gonna be right back, Earl. Don't worry" Winter blurted out, grabbing Qrow by the arm and dragging him to the elevator before anything else embarrassing could happen.

"Take your time" Earl chuckled, slowly sitting back down in his chair. Winter pushed the button and sighed.

"He seems nice" Qrow chuckled as he flexed his fingers, making sure nothing was broken.

"Yeah, he's a really nice guy, he's been good to me" Winter smiled warmly, but then her face got really warm when she realized that she was still latched onto Qrows, admittedly toned, arm. She slowly let him go, hoping he hadn't noticed, right as the elevator opened.

Qrow went and leaned against the back wall while Winter hit the button, and stayed by the panel. But right as the doors were about to slide close, someone stuck a foot in the door, blocking them. When the doors opened up, Winter looked up to see Tyrians smug face with a snake like smile aimed right at her.

"Why, Winter, what a pleasant surprise! It's been far too long!" He grinned, slithering close to her. Winter felt her back stiffen, and could feel his eyes crawling up and down her body. Winter stayed quiet, hoping he'd get the hint and leave her alone. He didn't.

"Winter, it feels like I always miss you in the mornings, and I always keep an eye out for you. We leave at about the same time, and I know you said no last time, but I wouldn't mind giving you a ride any morning, or night" Winter felt herself shiver like a cold wind hand blown through her. He'd said stuff like that before, but it had never gotten to her so much before. His words actually scared her. He started to crawl closer to her her, almost reaching out to touch her "I'll give you my number, so we can-"

Before he could finish his sentence, a shoe came flying between them and slamming into the elevator door with enough force to rock the entire elevator and to leave a small dent in the metal, missing Tyrian by an inch at most. Winter couldn't have been happier, but Tyrian couldn't have been more pissed.

"What the hell was that jackass! You almost hit me!" Tyrian yelled, murder in his voice. Qrow, with his hands still in his pockets, slowly lowered his leg.

"Sorry, there was a spider on the door" He looked totally disinterested in Tyrians hissy fit.

"So that makes it OK for you to almost kick me in the face? Are you a moron! I should call the police!" Tyrians face got red with how angry he was getting.

Qrow shrugged, "I really don't like spiders" and that was the only explanation the man was willing to give. Tyrian looked like he was about to throw a punch, but that's exactly when the door opened up. "This is our spot. See ya later buddy" Qrow said as he walked out of the elevator, patting Tyrian on the shoulder as he passed by. Winter followed, leaving Tyrian standing there too angry to even speak. The elevator took him somewhere else, thankfully.

Winters' heart was electric, shocked at what'd just happened. She was confused why she hadn't said anything, but she was glad that Qrow had been able to step in and help. She turned to thank him, but he was already a good ways down the hall, looking at one of the paintings on the wall with total interest. Maybe I'll thank him later, Winter thought as she walked over to him, feeling lighter than air.

"This is a neat painting. Really gives off a 'your building's gonna catch on fire' vibe" Qrow told her, pointing to the painting of the forest fire that Winter _totally_ loved seeing every morning.

"Yup, really brings the hallway together, don't you think?" Winter smiled as she walked past him. It wasn't far before she reached her room, with Qrow trailing behind her. His eyes were wandering around the hallway like it was some kind of art exhibit, and it made her feel like she was some kind of a docent at an art exhibit.

When Winter put her key in the lock, she realized that she had no clue if her apartment was clean. She'd never had, never even _thought _about having anyone over before! What if she left it as a total pigsty when she left without realizing it?

"You gonna open it? Is it busted or something? Should we get Ernie?" Qrow was leaning right over her shoulder, his face way too close to her face for comfort.

"It's Earl, and no! I'm just… taking my time, ok?" Winter grumbled as she unlocked her door, opening it up for Qrow.

Winter walked in slowly, stepping to the side and letting Qrow get a good look around. He slid off his shoes and walked around the kitchen and the living room like he owned the place.

"No TV?" He asked out of the blue, sitting down in the one chair in the living room.

"Couldn't fit it in my car, so nope" Winter sighed as she sat down on the carpet.

"Hm. Well, I have an old one if you want it, we have enough of them in the house" Qrow explained as he moved around in the chair, trying to get comfortable. He ended up with his legs hanging over the edge of the chairs arm.

"I couldn't accept that, I'm sure you guys could sell it or something. I'd buy it, but I don't exactly have room in the budget for that right now" Winter explained with a shrug. She was never the biggest fan of TV anyway, and she'd survived this long without one.

"It was Yang's for awhile, but she hasn't used it in forever. It's to the point where Ruby's asking if she can take it apart and see how it works. So you'll be doing me a favor, I don't wanna clean up any broken glass" Qrow explained as he stretched, leaning over the chairs other arm.

"I still don't think-"

"Winter, just take the TV. It's not a big deal. We're friends" he pressed, and Winter didn't have any other counters. She knew she'd called him a friend to Earl, but hearing him say it like that, unprompted… It made her feel good.

"Alright, I'll borrow it. But only so Ruby doesn't break it. Then, if Yang ever wants it back, she can take it. Deal?" Winter faltered, not really used to someone wanting to give her something without any strings attached. " And thank you… I appreciate it" She smiled up at him. His eyes were closed, but he had that relaxed, knowing smile on his face, like someone who'd just won a game.

"Sounds like a deal, and don't worry about it. You'd do the same for me. I'll loan you some movies and stuff too, get a little culture in your head"

"I'm cultured" Winter squeaked defensively, her hands on her knees.

"I'm talking about real culture, pop culture. Ya know, _I'll be back, may the force be with you, where we're going we don't need roads_. Any of those ringing a bell?" He asked, his eyes opening in time to see Winters totally stumped expression.

"I- I have no idea what any of that means" Winter admitted in a deadpan expression, her face looking like a middle aged woman having the internet explained to her.

"Don't worry, you'll learn" He sighed, reaching out and patting her head lightly, so her bun stayed in place. "Now go and change. We're actually not doing too bad on time, thanks to my excellent driving" Winter actually busted out laughing, rolling around on the carpet as she held her belly.

"Excellent driving? Qrow, if you drove like that with the girls they'd probably never get in the car with you again!" She got out between fits of laughter.

"Hey, I always drive safe with the kids in the truck, so when I take Harbinger out, I like to let him go a little wild!" Qrow confessed, sitting up in the chair.

"Harbinger? Did you name it when you were in middle school or something?" Winter cackled again as she stood up. Qrow looked away, scratching the back of his head.

"It was sophomore year, ok? I was an edgy kid" he admitted with a light blush.

"Aww, that's adorable! Don't worry, harbingers a good name… For a sophomores car" Winter patted his shoulder before turning and walking to her room.

"At least my car has a name, all the best cars do!" He called after her.

"That can't be true, because mine doesn't, and mines way better than " She turned around and winked at him before closing the door. She could hear him grumbling on the other side of the door, which made her smile grow even more.

Now that she was in her room, her mind hit a wall. A few walls. Where the hell were they going? And worse than that, what the hell am I supposed to wear? The second question was a lot more important than the first. She opened her closet and… Had no clue what to wear.

Winter cursed under her breath and grabbed the first things she could think of, trusting her instincts. That way if she looked terrible, she could blame her instincts! That worked, right?

She ended up in her best fitting jeans and a long sleeve white shirt that she thought clung to her in the right ways. She threw on a thin white jacket over that, it had been cold the past few nights and she wanted to be ready. She looked herself up and down in the mirror, and thought she'd pulled together something nice considering the short notice, but Weiss was always the best at checking her outfits. The girl had an eye for that sort of thing.

Winter opened the door, and saw Qrow standing up and looking down the opposite hallway, looking past the open door and into the empty bedroom. Winter started to walk, and his ears perked up, and he turned towards her. She was expecting some half baked, sarcastic comment, but he stood there silent. His eyes looked wide and were moving up her, drinking in every detail. When Tyrian had done it, it had felt wrong. But this, Qrow, sent a typhoon of butterflies moving in her stomach.

"What do you think?" Winter hesitantly asked, not sure if she wanted the answer. She didn't have time for makeup, her hair probably needed to be redone, and she wouldn't have said no to a shower, so it wouldn't be a huge shock if-

"You look incredible" He finally spoke, a dopey smile on his face that reminded Winter of how Yang looked when talking about her, _friend_.

"Thanks" Winter blushed as she messed with her hair, "Should we get going?" Winter pointed to the door, remembering how rushed he'd been not thirty minutes ago. Qrow looked like he was lagging a bit behind, taking a bit longer than normal for her words to sink in.

"Yeah, you're right. Lets, uh, let's get going. You're in for a fun night, and we don't wanna be too late" He turned towards the door, but stopped after his first step. He turned towards Winter and held out his arm for her to take. Winter felt her heart flutter, but wrapped her arm around his with a hesitant smile.

"Don't wanna risk that weird guy with the ponytail getting too close to you again" He chuckled as they started walking.

"No, of course not. Gotta stay close together so he knows to stay away" Winter agreed, trying her best to believe her own words before she shut the door and went who knows where.

**-Authors note**

**Another week another chapter! Hope you guys are enjoying! By the way, it's always really fun reading what you guys think is gonna happen, it really makes my day, so please keep it up! See you guys next week!**


	30. Chapter 30

Harbinger was a really cool car all things considered. Winter loved her bug more than anything, except Weiss obviously, but there was something so… alluring about a car as flashy and fun as this. It didn't purr and dance down the road like the bug, it roared, charged, and attacked the road without mercy. Plus, now that Qrow was going at a decent pace down the road, after she begged him again near crying to slow down, she got to take in all the little details.

Harbinger was a low to the ground car that seemed like a perfect fit for the man sitting next to her. While it could be flashy and powerful, it could also be careful, fun, and take its time. The interior was also beautiful, made from a light brown leather that popped beautifully against the black exterior. The smell of the leather was soft, but distinct, relaxing her with every breath she took. There wasn't a back seat or anything, only a long stretch of leather that could fit three people if you squeezed.

"Like what you see?" Qrow chuckled, looking at her out of the corner of his eye

"I mean, it's a nice car, I wish it had a cooler name though" Winter winked, and she could see his shoulders move, but just a little, as he silently laughed. "You said you got this sophomore year? Is there a fun story there?"

"Eh, fun isn't exactly the word I'd use. I got home one day and found a piece of shit car in the yard, rusted halfway to hell with one side of it crushed in. I walked in the door and he threw the keys at me, nailed me right in the eye. He told me happy birthday, opened a beer, and walked away without another word" He was talking lightly, even giving a dry laugh, but his face was completely blank. Like he was telling her about returning a library book.

"Annnd that's the car you traded in for Harbinger?" Winter probed with a small smile. Qrow finally broke into a real smile as he shook his head.

"Thankfully not. I spent the next few weeks trying to fix her, but I had no real clue where to start. I ended up taking the steering wheel off one day, and threw it. Turns out, I threw it into my angry neighbors yard. Found that out when she pounded on our door demanding to know why someone had thrown a steering wheel into her garden. One thing led to another, and she ended up teaching me how to fix the car. Took awhile, but eventually we got it to where she could drive" Qrow took his hand and put it on the dashboard, almost like he was petting the car. She watched him do it, totally understanding.

"That was really nice of her to do" Winter commented, but Qrow laughed.

"She wasn't exactly nice while we were fixing it. We yelled at each other so much I'm shocked nobody called the police on us. Forced me to do chores at her place to pay her back. Well, she fed me at least, so it wasn't all bad. But I think she hated seeing a junker sitting at her neighbor's place, but didn't feel like fixing it herself. Hell, every time she sees this car she always complains about something"

"You still see her?"

"Yeah, the old bag was over for game night with you" Qrow chuckled, watching the shock explode on Winters face.

"_Maria_ helped you?" Winter questioned, her jaw open.

"Yup. All these years later and she's still yelling at me on how to fix cars right" Qrow chuckled as he pulled into a small parking lot.

"Why does she do that?"

"Because I'm her chief mechanic over at Grimm mechanics. Enough about that though, if you talk about the devil too much she usually ends up popping up somewhere. Come on, we're here" Qrow explained as he opened the door, leaving Winter in a pool of knowledge she needed a second to process.

Winter had been curious about what exactly Maria's role was in that small family, figuring she was a neighbor that Qrow let hang out or something. She'd never imagined that Maria would be so… integral. She wasn't _just_ a neighbor, she's a friend from Qrows childhood, even if he'd never admit it. She gave Qrow a job, gave Ruby and Yang security and cared for them. Maria's been around for years. Guess she really was their Granny.

"You coming, or gonna sit there all night?" Qrow quizzed as he opened up her door, letting the chilly night air in to bite her.

"Don't worry, I didn't come all the way here to sit in the car" Winter chuckled as she crawled out of the car towards Qrow.

All around them were buildings that went up five or six stories, all looking pretty new. There was banks, restaurants, in the distance you could see downtown with skyscrapers popping up all over the place. Winter had never been to this part of town before, but she had a feeling that they were near the edge of the city and this area was probably meant for a more relaxed experience compared to the hustle of downtown.

The only building that wasn't modern, was the one Qrow was leading her towards. It was four stories tall and painted completely black. Not a fancy dark black though, it was patchy and uneven, and looked like it was either hand painted by amateurs or someone used an ungodly number of spray paint cans on it. Either way, she was sure that this building would be an eyesore in direct sunlight, because it didn't even look that good in the dark.

Winter wanted to say some sarcastic comment, but held her tongue, at least for now. Because Qrow wasn't taking her to the front doors, but to the back. What was surprising was that it wasn't only them anymore, but there was a long line stretching across the gravel lot behind the building.

Everyone was wearing a lot of black and was talking to someone, a jittery, excited energy filled the line, with hardly a single person standing quietly. She wasn't sure if it was a coincidence, she doubted it, but every single person in the line was also wearing black t-shirts with weird designs on them.

"OK, I'm curious now" Winter admitted as the two of them made their way to the back of the line.

"Glad to hear it, Snowflake. All you gotta do is relax, and enjoy yourself. Thankfully we weren't too late, they haven't started letting people in yet." Qrow explained as he patted her on the shoulder.

"By the way, where are the girls? I don't think I've ever seen you without them attached to your hip" Winter inquired, a little sad at the lack of red and yellow.

"Ruby's not a fan of this- type of thing. So she wanted to stay home. Yang was supposed to come, but at the last minute she said she had a stomach ache. So she decided to stay home, but she suggested I should bring you. Then demanded that I bring you. For someone with a stomach ache she didn't have any issues climbing on me till I said I would" Qrow sighed as he pulled down his shirt revealing a few light scratch marks here and there.

"Ooh, that looks like it hurt. Hope she feels better, and I appreciate the invitation to… This"

"Eh, a few scratches isn't anything to worry about, I've dealt with a lot worse" Qrow shrugged, letting his shirt fall back in place. That fact that Qrow had dealt with worse wasn't exactly reassuring to Winter to say the least, but at least it didn't hurt that much.

Winter turned to look up at the line, and saw the back of the building. While the rest of the building was painted that uneven black, the back of the building was a bit brighter. Instead of the dull black, the back was covered in murals. The biggest was an elephant with three heads with bright red and yellow tentacles circling around it gently. There was a tiger that was made from rainbows, flowers of every shape, size, and color all around the wall. It was like looking at a zoo from a different dimension where colors came to life.

Winter wasn't sure how long she stood there, taking in the details, the colors, the care that went into every single brush stroke, but it was long enough for the line to start moving and for Qrow to push her along.

After a ticket check, Qrow gave them her ticket and didn't let her get a good look at it, they were inside the building. The inside had a lot of classical wood designs implemented all over like in the stairs and the siding, but a lot of it was covered up with random posters with cool designs that Winter didn't have time to read or they were painted over with more murals and art. There was an upstairs and a downstairs, with the upstairs looking very classical and formal, with more wood. But the downstairs had more posters and art, and down was where the line was pushing her.

The downstairs was dark and lighted poorly, but it was still clear that the room was packed and getting fuller by the minute. Winter was standing in a large room that was mostly made out of cement, with the walls covered by even more posters and weird artwork. Colorful eyes were watching her and smiling with disconnected mouths. There was a small stage at the far end of the room that was covered by a curtain, blocking whatever was behind it. There was also a small bar off to the side where two bartenders were running around like madmen trying to get as many orders out as possible. Next to where they'd come in was a small table that looked to be selling clothes or something, but it all seemed to be way over priced.

"You've been here before, right?" Winter shakily asked, as the two of them made their way to a corner, trying to find a bit of space.

"I've been coming here since I was old enough to sneak out" Qrow chuckled as he watched Winter eyeing all the goths around her. Winter was feeling a bit out of place being the only one dressed in white, but Qrow didn't seem worried. Did he ever really worry?

'The girls have been here too, right? They didn't have any issues or anything?"

"If you're asking if anyone tried to fight them or anything, the answers no. These guys might look all tough, but most of them are here to relax and have a little fun. So don't be a jerk, and you'll be fine" Qrow reassured her, and Winter nodded, unconvinced. "Do you want a drink or anything?"

"Drink? Yeah, that actually sounds nice" Winter smiled, realizing that she hadn't really had anything to drink in way too long. She really needed to get better at eating and drinking water, but it always slipped her mind.

"You want anything specific?"

"No, get me whatever" Winter smiled, trying her best not to be that picky. If she was being honest, an apple juice or something sounded wonderful. Qrow smiled at her and nodded as he made his way to the bar, leaving Winter by herself.

Winter found a bench along the wall and sat down, listening to the loud conversations happening all around her. People were laughing, arguing with smiles, and everywhere she looked there were happy people. Whatever they were all here for, everyone was pretty damn excited.

Suddenly, the sound of something sweet came from behind the curtain that made everyone in the room go silent. Winter looked at the dark red curtain curiously for a second, before another sound rang out, the sound of a guitar.

Someone was playing a sweet, slow tune on a guitar. It sounded sweet and sensual, and captured everyone's attention without being seen. Then, a piano joined in, adding another layer to the music that swooped Winter back up to her feet. A base hopped in next, and the tempo changed, going faster. A few other odds and ends jumped in and at this point Winter could hardly sit still as the music flooded her systems. Finally, the curtain opened with the whip of a stagehands wrist, but the stage was black, and the music stopped.

Tension built silently as the whole room sat in anxious waiting. Winter wasn't sure what she was waiting for, but she could feel all of her muscles tighten, as her nerves fired at double speed, shooting her senses into overdrive. She could feel the still air on her skin, smell old cigarette smoke that had come in with a few people, taste the anticipation in the air… Before red and blue lights flooded the stage, and the music started right where it had left off without missing a beat, louder than ever and with someone singing like an angel that was looking to start some chaos.

The crowd lost it. Everyone was jumping up, screaming, singing along, dancing, and Winter had to move. She'd never heard the song before, but it commanded her to jump, bob her head, try her best to match the lyrics even though she had no clue what they were. She loved it.

Qrow tapped her on the shoulder with a big smile and two drinks in his hands. His face colored blue from the moving lights, and it made him look like he was a piece of the artwork on the walls. He leaned in close and said into her ear, "Welcome to Hall, home of your first concert" before handing her a drink.

Winter moved her hips with the music as she grabbed the drink and took a big gulp to sooth her parched throat. But she only got a few drops in before she choked, a bitter flavor that reminded her of rubbing alcohol filling her mouth.

"What the heck is this?" Winter shouted over the music, hardly loud enough for him to hear. Qrow looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Vodka and tonic. You said you didn't mind what you got" He asked as he took a sip of his own drink that was a dark brown. "Don't like it?"

See, it wasn't like Winter had never had alcohol before, she had a few times. But that was mostly a glass of wine here or there at galas and balls with her parents. Even then, she hated the taste of it. Whenever she drank wine, Winter started off with the impression she was drinking grape juice, but a second later she would be flooded with a sour monstrosity that made her want to spit the gross liquid out. Vodka and tonic, was apparently a lot like that. Except there wasn't that initial sweet flavor, and it was bitter from start to finish.

But as she watched Qrow sip on his drink without so much as a flinch, she decided to grit her teeth and take another short sip. She winched, and Qrow watched her with a curious expression on his face.

"You don't have to drink it if you don't want to ya know. It won't hurt my feelings' he insisted as he took another sip.

"No, I like it. Thanks, I'll get the next one' She forcefully smiled as she took another sip.

"Well lucky for you, I get free refills" he smiled as he shook his glass and took a swig. A swig that Winter matched with a shutter.

"What do you mean? Do I not?" Winter wondered as she looked at her already half gone clear drink.

"When you get pop they give you free refills. Pretty sure they're trying to make everyone fat, but damn does it taste good"

"Wait, you got pop?" Winter asked, puzzled, a fuzzy feeling starting to come over her head for some reason.

"Course, I don't drink liquor or anything anymore" Qrow smiled at her as he took another long swig of his drink. Winter looked at her cup and smiled, her mind feeling loose and flowy in a fun way.

"That's cool! I had no idea, I thought you were drinking whisky or something!" Winter giggled as she reached out and squeezed his arm. Qrow gave her an odd, cute, look. It was almost like he was surprised at something! Winter giggled again, finding everything really funny.

"Nope, good old cola. I gotta ask, have you ever had vodka before-" Qrow started, but Winter straightened her back and gasped, letting go of Qrow and bringing her hands up to her face, looking like a kid seeing something cool.

"We should dance! It's been so long since I've danced! I don't even remember the last time I danced? Wait, have I danced before? Let's dance!" Winter grinned, taking his hand and taking him further into the crowd.

Before he answered, Winter started to move without a care in the world, singing to the lyrics and not caring that she didn't know them. Pretty soon, Qrow was dancing right along with her. The music was loud, winter could feel the vibrations move up and down her back, and it made her want to be loud, silly, and made her feel like she didn't have a care in the world.

They moved like that, freely and happily, for awhile. Each of them trying weird different dance moves that left the other one laughing. Winter took another few sips of her drink, but while she was dancing, Qrow snagged it out of her hands! "Don't want you to spill it while we dance!" He yelled over the crowd, and Winter nodded excitedly, dancing even faster than before. She never got the drink back, and had no clue what he did with it, but she was sure he put it somewhere for safe keeping! Qrow was so nice like that!

Someone held up their arm and started to jump up, and it spread across the audience until Winter finally noticed. She yelled as she held up her arm and jumped up and down like an excited kangaroo. As she was jumping, some of her hair fell out of her bun and covered her right eye a bit. Winter cursed, as she tried to fix it, but realized it was impossible. Qrow noticed, and pointed her in the direction of the bathrooms with a laugh that she couldn't hear over the music.

Winter stumbled over to the bathroom feeling like a bobble head with how much her head was moving. She was pretty sure Qrow was laughing at her, but what did that matter? She flung the door open and went right to the mirror. Winter put all of her weight on her right hand, which she was resting on the mirror, as she looked at her hair.

Winter had always put her hair in a bun because it was the best way for her to have long hair but for it to not get in her way. Ponytails sometimes worked, but not often. It didn't hurt that she thought she looked super cute with a bun, but it was mostly for function. But now, with this section of her hair down, she thought it looked… Right. She moved her head and watched it move and flow, like a white river, and a smile broke out on her face. Instead of putting it back up, she took more of it out, combining it with her fingers, and trying to make it work.

Some girl Winter had never seen before came up and with a brush and combed her hair and sticking a bobby pin in it to get it looking perfect. Winter normally would've told her not to touch her, but the brush felt good, so Winter thought she could trust her.

Winter stumbled out of the bathroom and back to Qrow, who smiled, "I like it. It suits you" He shouted over the music, the look in his eyes was so genuine and sweet, it was clear how much he meant it.

Winter blushed, the butterflies in her belly were moving a lot more than normal right now. It was almost like they were free of their cage, and were running rampant inside of her now. Their wills beating inside of her like a drum, that she had to try hard to ignore. They were chanting _do it, kiss him, you know you want to_.

But closed her eyes, trying to force the butterflies back in their cage, but she couldn't find the key to the lock. She was fighting them off though, and she could feel the chanting dull. But then, she opened her eyes and saw Qrows sweet smiling face, his caring eyes, his strong hands, and suddenly the cage fell apart. God, she tried to ignore it… but she couldn't.

His eyes widened as she leaned in, closer than ever before, and kissed him without any warning. Like that, on the dance floor of Hall, she had her first kiss.

**-Authors note-**

**So I hope you guys like this chapter, because it was very fun and just a wee bit stressful to write! I hope I've done a good job building up the flirting bits between them for this to seem reasonable! So let me know what you guys think about the chapter, the story, and what you think's gonna happen, because that's always fun to hear! See you guys next week!**


	31. Chapter 31

Even though Winters head was swimming, it still dawned on her exactly how strange it was that everything else in the universe faded away so quickly. The music fell through the floorboards, the smell of stale beer was masked by the smell of Qrow, the vibrations from the dancing people were nothing compared to the pounding from her heart that vibrated in every single cell in her body.

The background was gone, but that made everything that was left so much stronger. Winters hands moved along Qrows arms and back, feeling how toned he was from hours of working on cars. His scent was more intoxicating than the vodka and had her swimming in cloud nine. Plus his lips… they were soft, warm, and the electricity that was sparking between them made her knees weak. God, everything about those first seconds would be burned into her memory for the rest of her life, and she knew that her dreams would be haunted by this feeling.

As amazing as it was, something felt… Wrong. Well, it felt soooo right, but there was a creeping feeling that something wasn't exactly the way it was supposed to be. She tried to keep enjoying the feeling, but it was all turning sour the longer it went on, and she had no idea why. Something in her heart broke when she realized, his hands weren't touching her, and even with her eyes closed she knew they were glued to his sides. The electricity was fizzling as his lips slowed down, like a car running out of fuel. She could feel his back get rigid, and felt the excitement die.

Winter stopped kissing him and pulled back, wobbling on her feet. She wasn't sure if it was from lack of oxygen or her drink. Winters hands were clasped together tightly, not sure what to do with them anymore. Qrow wasn't looking at her, one hand brushing some hair out of his face while the other was in his pocket, "Winter… I didn't think you'd had _that_ much to drink. I'm gonna take a shot in the dark and say you're black out" Qrow sighed softly, still not looking at the confused girl.

"Wha- Black out?" Winter slurred out, she knew what someone blacking out was, but why was he saying she'd done that? What did that mean?

"It means in the morning, you aren't gonna remember anything. I've been there a few times. I'm sorry Winter, I should've known you were a lightweight. I never should've even given you that stupid drink. Don't worry, I'll get you home ok." Qrow nodded, finally looking at her. He had a small, uncharacteristically nervous smile on his face. His voice was soft, like he wasn't positive in what he was saying.

"Qrow, I… What?" He was talking too fast, and her brain couldn't grasp exactly what he meant, but she knew something was wrong. Winter was positive she would remember what had just happened, probably till her dying day. But he wasn't saying anything about it… Did he not like it? Was he mad? What had she done wrong?

"Come on, let's get out of here" Qrow told her as he put his hand on her shoulder. When he touched her though, he flinched like he'd been burned, and pulled his hand away quickly. He looked at her, his eyes a bit wider than normal. When he saw her looking at him with a tilted head, he chuckled and grabbed her lightly by the arm, pulling her behind him.

They made it up the stairs to the landing that separated the upstairs and downstairs when Qrow abruptly stopped, and Winter walked right into him. "Sorry. Ok, give me one second, I forgot something. Stay right here, ok? Don't move," He told her, pointing his finger at her like she was a dog that was about to run off. He ran back down to the music, leaving Winter alone with her thoughts.

Winter backed into the wall, her head bobbing as she moved. The hard wall felt nice, and she closed her eyes, trying to get her world to stop spinning. The music from downstairs was still loud, but now that she was out of its direct line of fire she felt her ears ringing. It was annoying, but a bit satisfying at the same time. Like when you're a kid and you scrape your knee playing. It sucks, but it was totally worth it.

"Hey" someone slurred beside her. Winter opened her eyes and saw a guy who was about six foot four, a bit too much muscle on him, balding, and with a thick scraggly beard leaning on the wall next to her. His right hand was on the wall, holding all of his weight, while his left hand swirled a cup of dark brown liquid Winter guessed wasn't pop.

"Hi" Winter said quietly, waving one of her hands at him like a nervous child. Honestly her hand looked a lot smaller next to him, which made her giggle.

"What's a cute- cute girl like you doing here by yourself?" The guy asked, hiccuping in the middle of talking. Winter looked at him and shrugged, pointing to the stairs.

"Qrow went that way," She explained flawlessly. The guy looked at the stairs and back at her with a raised eyebrow before he took another long swig of his drink.

"Guess you're one of those crazy types. What do you say we… Get out of here?" He chuckled, dropping his empty cup on the ground. Winter was pretty sure he hadn't dropped it on purpose.

"I'd love to get out of here, but Qrow's not back yet… Do you think he's mad at me?" Winter asked as she slid down the wall, ending up sitting on the ground with her arms around her knees. The guy slid down to join her, but he was a lot less graceful and ended up basically laying down in the hallway.

"Naaaah, you're too pretty to be mad at…" The man explained with his eyes half way closed, waving one hand lazily.

"Aw, thank you! But I don't think Qrow agrees… He hates me," Winter told him, her eyes starting to fill with tears. The man's eyes opened slowly, and even when he was looking at her, it didn't look like the lights were on.

"What a prick, what kind of bird makes a girl cry!" The guy grumbled, making a fist, but then looking at it like it was doing something interesting. Winter watched him through her tears, curious what was going on in this guy's head.

"Everything ok here? Eddy, what're you doing down there?" Winter hadn't even noticed Qrow walk up the stairs, his eyes going between the girl and man on the ground. The guy, Edwardo? Earl? Winters' mind didn't catch what name Qrow had given him. Either way, the guy looked up at Qrow with half lidded eyes and smiled big and wide.

"Qrow! Long time no see, bud! Where are those girls of yours hiding? Don't want the shrimp to try and climb me again" The man laughed, sounding like a deep bass drum.

"They didn't come tonight Eddy, only kid I'm watching is sitting next to you" Qrow explained as he reached down and took Winters hand, pulling her to her feet without any effort. Moving so fast made Winters' stomach feel woozy, like her head, but she could deal with it… For now at least. The man looked shocked, his eyes wide.

"Ooohh! You meant _that_ Qrow! Qrow, you made this little lady sad! God, I'm drunk" The guy lamented as he tilted his head back and closed his eyes.

"I what? Ugh, whatever. I'll tell one of your guys at the front you're here blocking the path. See ya Eddy, we gotta get going," The man didn't say anything, but Winter could hear his snoring, it was even louder than the music from the basement.

Qrow shook his head as he led Winter by her hand outside. Qrow said something to one of the bouncers standing guard, he was a big round guy that looked like he was trying way too hard not to smile. The round guy sighed, and Qrow patted him on the shoulder and laughed before he led her back to Harbinger.

Qrow opened the door for her and Winter smiled as she climbed in the car, curling up and laying on her side, her face buried in the leather. She sat quietly while Qrow got in on his side. "This leather smells so nice, Qrow. Like, it makes me feel free when I smell it… Is that weird?" She looked up at him and he smiled at her as he started the engine.

"No, I think the same thing whenever I get in here" he explained with a look of pride on his face, "Sit up, you gotta put your seatbelt on,"

Something about what he said connected some long dormant neural pathways in her mind, and an image of her father crept into her mind saying the exact same thing.

"No… I don't wanna!" Winter told him sternly, but it wasn't Qrow she was talking to anymore.

"Winter, stop being such a kid, I'm not gonna drive-"

"Don't call me a kid! I'm an adult, and I can make my own decisions!" Winter huffed at him, her heart starting to get worked up.

"Winter, can you just do what you're told?" Qrow was talking softly, but in Winters mind his voice was deeper, darker, exactly like her fathers, and she hated it.

"No! You always do this to me! You never care about what I think, and make me do what you want!" Winter yelled, tears rolling down her eyes as she yelled her heart out for the first time.

"Winter- I" Qrow started, but Winter wasn't ready to stop yet.

"What I did when I was little, when you sent me to the tutor, you even tried to control me in college! But Mom was there, she helped me! So no more! I'm done! I hate you and wish you'd gotten sick instead of Mom!" Winter screamed, as she punched the leather seat over and over again, panting from the effort.

Qrow sat there staring at her, not saying anything, waiting. Winter got her breath back, and was glad nobody else was around the car to hear her tantrum. She looked at Qrow, eyes full of guilt and tears, "I-I'm sorry. That wasn't meant for you. I've never said anything like that out loud before… If you couldn't tell, my Dad- Well, he was a bit of a prick," Winter chuckled, trying to chip at the uncomfortable silence that she'd made.

"You don't have to wear your seat belt if you don't want to," Qrow smiled at her, and Winter returned it, with both of their smiles half strained and half genuine. Winter laid back down on the leather seat, but this time she put her head in Qrows lap. She knew it might make him uncomfortable, and she'd move if he asked, but it felt way too right not to do it. Plus, Qrows lap was apparently a very comfortable pillow.

Qrow put the car in drive, and slowly started to drive down the road. Winter closed her eyes and let the car rock her back and forth, the silence growing less stressful by the moment.

"Ya know, I always heard your Dad was an ass, but when I met you, I guess I figured the stories couldn't have been right. You were way too cool and nice to have been raised by such a dick" Qrow told her, moving one of his hands off the wheel and onto the side of the door.

Winters mind had started to settle, and everything was becoming a bit clearer, but what he'd said… She must've missed some of it, "What do you mean?" Winter questioned, hoping she'd misheard.

"You're Dad, Jacques Schnee, always heard he was a jerk. But after I met you I figured he must've been pretty cool. Guess I was wrong" Qrow sighed as he took a turn so softly that Winter barely even registered the movement.

"Wait, you know about my Dad? How do you know about him?" Winter probed softly, even though her mind was in a panic. _He's not supposed to know, how did he figure it out? How did I mess up?_ Winter mentally chastised herself, mad that she let the information slip.

"Winter, your Dad's one of the richest people in the world. He's a pretty well known guy. After I got your last name from your firm, it was pretty obvious. I mean, Schnee isn't exactly a common name" Qrow chuckled like it was obvious, and not one of her darkest secrets.

"How long?" Winter begged, scared of the answer.

"I figured it out pretty soon after you started coming over. I was getting gas one day and saw the name, and after that, a few google searches cleared everything up" there was a moment of silence after that where Winter didn't really know what to say.

"So… What do you think?" Winter hesitantly questioned, not really sure how he'd answer.

"About your Dad? I mean, from what you just yelled, something tells me I don't really wanna meet the guy" Qrow shuttered, but Winter was at a loss.

"I mean, about me" she muttered, hoping he wouldn't hear her.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, aren't you mad at me? I kept something huge hidden from you and the girls! You should be upset at me or something!" Winter urged him, wanted to get his anger out of the way and for them to stop dancing around it.

"Winter, why would I be mad about that? You haven't been a jerk to my girls or anything, so why should I be mad at you? I couldn't care less about who raised you" He explained, in a confused tone, like he shouldn't have had to explain any of this.

"So you aren't mad?"

"No, I'm not mad. Why would I be mad?" Qrow laughed at her this time. Suddenly he moved his hand to her head and started to play with her hair lightly, like he was scared she was gonna yell at him. Instead, Winter purred ever so softly and closed her eyes, letting peace wash over her for the rest of the ride.

The rest of the ride was a blur, and she couldn't care less. It felt like a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. She didn't have to worry about her past getting dragged out into the open. For some reason she thought that Qrow would be mad, treat her differently, or straight up blackmail her once he found out about her Father. In hindsight, she should've known better. She was positive Yang and Ruby would care even less than Qrow did, but they might have a few more random questions. That thought made her smile, because she'd be more than willing to answer them.

Winters eyes opened and they were suddenly at her buildings parking lot, with Qrow's hand still playing with her hair. It was so relaxing, and her eyes were so heavy… She blinked slowly, and by the time she opened them again Qrow was gently tapping her on the shoulder, "Huh?" She asked in a daze.

"Winter, you need to grab your room key" She heard him say, so she fished it out of her pocket and held it in her hand without even opening her eyes. The next thing she knew, Winter was in her bed surrounded by her covers.

She was warm and calm, not sure when she'd gotten there. She kept her eyes closed, enjoying it. Her mind was a lot clearer than it had been in the club and the car, and she was glad that all of her memories were still intact… all of them from the night. When she felt a soft hand cup her cheek. Winter knew she should tell him that she was awake however barely she was. But she was way too curious to see what he would do.

"I wish you would remember tonight…" She heard Qrow whisper, before he leaned down and planted a light kiss on her forehead. It wasn't creepy or weird, but it made her long to be back on the dance floor with her arms around him again. She heard her door close and opened her eyes.

The room around her was dark, only lighted by the window. She sat up and looked at the door, a feeling of want filled her chest. She wanted him to come back, to explain to him that she knew what she had done… but did she? Winter had no idea anymore. She looked down, and noticed something on her bed.

It was a t-shirt that had a tiger jumping through a ring of fire with dark red text that read, _firewalkers Endgame tour! _On the back of the shirt was a list of dates and names of locations they'd played. She found the one at hall, with today's date, and was positive that she really would remember tonight forever, for better or for worse. She realized this must've been what Qrow had gone back for, and she smiled, then the tears started to fall again.

Winter leaned back and hugged the shirt. Thinking about the girls, her work, her future, Qrow… And knew that she couldn't remember. She was gonna have to 'black out' in the morning. Because she couldn't date Qrow, not while she was seeing the girls. It was unethical. That's what she messed up, she never should've kissed him at all. She cried. She cried for hours, knowing that she'd remember, but couldn't. That kiss? That had to disappear forever, and that broke her heart…

**-Authors note-**

**Hey everyone, hope you enjoyed reading this chapter! Things are getting a little spicy now, but what will happen next? Keep reading to see! See you guys next week!**


	32. Chapter 32

Dreamless nights always felt weird to Winter. She was used to having dreams dealing with her stress, her family, her past, future, and a thousand other things. But that night, it was like her mind had suffered a harsh glitch that transported her from crying lightly in the dark and trying her best to be quiet to her eyes opening to the glare of the sun and her head hurting so much it made her nauseous. It was like some kind of magic, a curse to be specific. A curse that made her hate life and made her want to stay in bed all day.

Winter moved her pillow over her eyes, trying her best to block out the suns painful rays, leaving enough room for her mouth to get some oxygen down her throat. Not that she wouldn't mind death right now with her pounding head, uneasy stomach, and… Did she mention her stomach?

Winters belly gurgled in an unnatural way that forced her to shoot out of bed and run down the hall to the bathroom. She tried to open the door, wanting to simply get it over with, only to find that it was locked. Winters eyes got wide as she tugged at the door, hoping that hre grip was only a little slippery from sweat or something. She banged on the door like her life depended on it, but still the door didn't open. Another gurgle from her stomach told her how little time she had, so she had to abandon the idea of using the bathroom, running into the kitchen instead.

She lunged for the garbage can on the other side of the kitchen, but halfway there it was too late. Winter was forced to change course like a ship captain meeting a hurricane and made it to the sink just in time for her to toss her cookies like a pro baker.

Winter heard a door open from somewhere followed by hurried footsteps before she felt someone grab her hair, pulling it out of her face before anything could get caught in it. The same person also started to rub her back lightly, which was a small comfort in her waking hell. Her body shook and she gripped the side of the counter for support as her body purged the toxins from her system.

Her body convulsed time and time again, forcing everything out. Winter hadn't even eaten that much the day before, but there was still enough gunk that it made her worried that her sink would clog.

After the onslaught felt like it was over, then to more rounds of convulsions, Winter felt her legs start to give out. She didn't even try to fight it, she simply lowered herself down to the floor slowly, trying to collapse. She laid down on the ground, resting her head on the cool wood floor and sighing in relief as she closed her eyes. _Screw bed, I can fall asleep here,_ Winter thought to herself before the throbbing in her head started again. She flinched every few seconds as a gong was struck inside her head somehow.

"This might help" Qrow told her as he set something on the ground next to her head. Winter opened her eyes and saw the most beautiful glass of crystal clear water that she'd ever seen. Her arms attacked the glass when she realized how gross her mouth felt and how dry her throat was. Still lying down, winter started to chug the water, spilling some on her shirt and her mouth like a kid, but what did she care?

"Sip, don't gulp. You don't want it to come back up again, do you?" Qrow explained with a light chuckle as he took the glass and tilted it away from her enough so she wasn't drowning herself anymore. Winter listened to him, not wanting anything else to come up. She'd been through that way too much lately.

Qrow ended up getting her another two glasses of water before her thirst was finally extinguished. Her head still hurt, but at least she didn't feel on the brink of death anymore. Qrow was sitting in front of her with his legs crossed, looking at her with a relaxed smile. That is, until their eyes met. Then he looked away and his face had a tint of red. But his red face ended up making her blush too for some reason, creating a weird cycle of embarrassment.

"So, uh, what are you doing here?" Winter wondered as she tried and failed to lift her sore body off the ground.

"Well your car's still at your work, so I figured I'd drive you over there to pick it up. I didn't wanna drive home then back here, so I ended up crashing in the chair. Big mistake, my back hurts like hell" Qrow explained while he scratched his chin, which already had more stubble on it than the night before.

"Oh, sorry to hear that. You could've stayed in the other bedroom though, it wouldn't have been an issue or anything" The bedroom was empty, but at least there was a bed in it he could've stretched out in. The guilt somehow made her headache worse as she remembered how he gave up his bed for her last time.

"Yeah, but I figured that someone would probably pop in and get pissed a stranger was in their bed"

"Well you'd be wrong. Nobody lives there right now" Winter sighed, knowing Weiss would've been upset if Qrow had slept in her bed. If only she did live there.

"Guessing this is your first hangover?" Qrow asked out of the blue, clearly not wanting to pry, which Winter appreciated.

Winter nodded ever so softly, trying not to make her head hurt any worse than normal, "What gave it away?"

"You got drunk off of probably two shots of vodka last night, so let's call it a healthy guess" Winter groaned in agony as he chuckled evilly.

"Is that a lot? I've only ever had a few sips of wine here or there, but that sounds like a lot" Winter looked at him with pleading eyes, which he couldn't meet for long.

"Uh, yeah. Definitely. I thought you could handle your liquor is all" Qrow relented, making Winter smile.

"Good, I thought it was strong stuff" Winter grinned in victory. Qrow looked like he wanted to say something else, but stopped himself at the last minute. He probably thought he was being sneaky, but Winter caught him.

"If your head's hurting, I know a cure for that. But we gotta go somewhere to get it"

Winter bit the inside of her cheek as she thought, her arms spread out at her sides. Winter sort of wanted to stay in bed until she found her way to the great beyond, but at the same time she didn't want to die from pain, that would just plain suck. She also doubted she'd be able to sleep or anything… "Sure, why not? Can I shower first?" Winter had asked a question, but it was actually a demand. She would rather die than leave the house as she was now. She was still in the same clothes from last night, her hair felt stiff, and she knew that she didn't exactly smell like a basket of roses, or any other flower for that matter.

"This is your house, you don't need to ask me" Qrow answered as he stood up and held out his hand for her to take. Winter looked at the hand with loathing, not wanting to move yet.

"Do I have to? Can't I shower here or something? The sink's right here" Winter begged as she lifted up a finger and pointed to the still filthy sink.

"You're the one who said you wanted to go"

"Ugh, I hate when you're right" Winter protested as she grabbed his hand. Gingerly, he pulled her up to her feet. Somehow he kept her from moving too much and making her head yell at her.

Winter stumbled to find her footing for a second and fell into Qrows open arms, who caught her without issue. Both of them looked at each other for a second, like they were both waiting for the other to do something, but nothing happened. Winter awkwardly stepped away as the two of them avoided eye contact and blushed like tomatoes.

The next twenty minutes were spent in a hot steamy shower trying to wash away the grime and horribleness from the night before. Her muscles were sore, she'd slept weird and her neck hurt, and overall she felt like she hadn't slept at all, but at least she was clean now.

Her hair was giving her a lot of trouble this morning, but what's new about that? She was combing it, trying to get it to settle down, getting angry at it. Then, she stopped fighting it. Instead she let a big lock of her hair fall over the right side of her face while the rest of it went into a loose bun. She could still see perfectly, and it made her look a bit mysterious.

She walked out of the shower and found Qrow in the living room doing push ups and whistling to himself quietly. She didn't wanna interrupt him, so she let him go, figuring he'd stop when he got to twenty or something. But he didn't. Instead he kept going, not slowing down at all, for another five minutes. Winter stood there, utterly transfixed, and questioning if Qrow was some government robot or something. When he did stop, it wasn't because he got tired either, he stopped because he looked up and saw Winter staring at him.

"Hey, didn't see you there. Are you ready?" Qrow wondered as he stood up, not even out of breath or with a drop of sweat on him.

"How- How did you do that?" Winter stuttered, pointing at him like a nonbeliever at an alien. Actually, maybe he was an alien? She had no idea anymore.

"How did I do a push up?" Qrow looked at her with a mix of pity and confusion.

"No, I know how to do a push up! I mean how did you do like a thousand of them without stopping!" Winter urged him, desperate to know how he got such superhuman strength.

"It was actually two hundred. Which, for the record, isn't even close to my best. And I don't know, practice?" Qrow shrugged as he walked over to the door, leaving Winter behind.

"You can't do that many push ups through practice!" Winter insisted as she followed him.

"Yeah you can. All you have to do is do as many push ups as you can. Then, do that again and again and again. Eventually, you can do more push ups. Then, sooner or later, you can do two hundred. That's how working out works, Snowflake" replied Qrow in a slow voice, like he was explaining working out to a child for the first time. The two of them slipped on their shoes and headed out the door.

"I think you're a cyborg or something, nobody can do that many and not have limbs made out of metal" Qrow held out his arm and flexed while they walked.

"Tell me what you think, are my arms made out of metal?"

Winter gulped at how well defined his muscles were, and knew she shouldn't… But she also couldn't think of an excuse not to touch him. So quietly, she reached out and grabbed his arm.

"So, is it metal?" He teased after she let go.

Winter looked down at the ground, her face redder than earlier and whispered, "It feels like metal"

"Or maybe you're just a pip squeak like ruby" Qrow joked as he reached out and felt her stick like arms.

"I'm not weak! My muscles are just… Dormant!" Winter spluttered out as Qrow grinned like a devil, but didn't say a word in victory.

After rushing Qrow out of the front door as quickly as possible, trying to avoid any questions or comments from Earl, the two of them were seated in Harbinger and were on their way to, somewhere he wouldn't tell her about. Again.

"You know, I'm not sure if I like not knowing where we're driving to. I feel like you're gonna take me someplace weird soon" Winter told him as they drove down the road, early morning traffic slowing Qrow down.

"Have I steered you wrong yet?"

"Well you've only taken me to one concert and wherever we're going" Winter recognized that this was the way to Qrows house, but wasn't sure if they were going all the way to his home.

"Trust me, this place never failed me back in the day" Qrow reassured her. Winter honestly trusted him, so she nodded and didn't question him anymore. A minute later, Qrow pulled into the parking lot of a small diner.

The diner was small, only one story, and was painting a very plain beige and blue. There were lots of neon signs all over the place, all of them saying how great the food was and how it was the best place in the city. If it wasn't for the fact that the signs were blinking and the parking lot was half way to empty, she might've believed them.

The inside of the diner was pretty simple, a line of booths and a bar that overlooked the small kitchen area. There was only one older couple in the far back booth and a construction worker that Winter really wished would pull up his pants sitting at the bar. The stove was crackling with the sound of bacon and eggs, and their smell filled the diner up to capacity and made her stomach growl.

Qrow walked over to a side booth and slid into it like he'd done it a thousand times. He rested his back against the wall and had his legs over the blue fake leather of the booth. Winter sat down a bit more normally opposite him.

"Two waters, one glass of root beer, one country omelet loaded with gravy and fries, and another one plain" Qrow called out to the waitress as she was walking up. She turned on a dime and went back behind the kitchen without a word.

"Shouldn't we have looked at a menu beforehand? What's even in the country omelet?" Winter wondered as she watched the waitress leave.

"If you want that pounding in your head to go away, trust me, this will do it" When he brought it up, Winter remembered the pounding in her head and instantly winced. There was an awkward silence for a minute, with neither of them really sure what to say while they waited on their food.

"So, what did you think of the concert? I mean… If you remember any of it that is" Qrow faltered with unease.

"The concert? It was awesome. I've never felt like that before, with how much I wanted to dance and move. It felt like I could do anything I wanted and nobody cared! It felt really freeing, ya know?"

"Trust me, I basically lived at that place for a few years, I know what you mean" Qrow grinned at her, clearly thinking about all of the crazy and fun stories he wanted to tell her. Instead he asked the hard question, "Do you remember everything? Like, are you missing any time?"

Winter felt her heart stop for a second, like someone had thrown a wrench into the machine. Everything stopped, but it wanted to keep going until it all broke down. Winter looked at Qrow, his face was full of curiosity, wonder, and most of all, hope. Winters throat was dry, and she had to look away from him. She wanted to tell him the truth, that she remembered it all, but… face came into her mind, and she imagined him throwing her out because of this. It was unethical for her to date the guardian of her patients. She could probably lose her license if anyone found out the two of them had even kissed, people didn't mess around with stuff like this.

If she lost this job, then what was the point of leaving? Why had she thrown away the chance to run a multi-billion dollar company, and why had she forsaken her sister to do it for her? Why had her mom helped lie to father and help her dreams to come true? All of that, everything, would be lost if the two of them tried to date… Was that worth it?

"Now that you mention it, I was dancing and then all of a sudden I was in your car. I remember dancing, then I remember that you told me… You know I'm from money" Winter would give up as much as she had to, but that she could keep. She could keep that small connection they'd made in the car.

Winter watched as Qrows eyes dulled. It was sad, like watching the tail end of a firework in the night sky. You want to see that explosion again, but sometimes it doesn't come back. His face fell for a moment as he looked over at the waitress who was bringing their drinks. When he turned back, there was a forced smile on his face that made Winter want to cry. But she knew she couldn't.

"Course I knew. I'm not as dumb as you think, Snowflake" Qrow chuckled lightly, but Winter didn't feel like laughing.

"I don't think you're dumb, I just thought I had hidden it well" Winter explained, trying her best to sound earnest.

"It really wasn't that hard to figure out. I mean- Wait, are you kidding me?" Qrow sat up and dropped his legs to the ground, his eyes wide as he looked at the door. Winter turned around and saw Qrows nieces and the woman he'd known since high school stroll into the diner with big smiles all around.

The three of them were talking with Ruby bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet like she usually did. Ruby found them first, and her eyes lit up and she ran over to them at the speed of light, scaring the old couple in the back.

"Uncle Qrow, Winter! What are you guys doing here? How was the concert! Did you have fun? Have you eaten yet?" Ruby blabbered out faster than she ran, giving Winter a case of whiplash.

"Breakfast, it was amazing, a ton, and we were about to. Would you care to join us?" Winter answered after her brain had processed what the hyper girl had said.

"Of course! Scooch over Uncle Qrow!" Ruby waved him away, and he moved over with a huff as his niece sat down beside him. Yang and Maria came over, at a more reasonable pace, and sat next to Winter after she'd scooted in as far as she could.

"What're you guys doing here? I figured yang would be making food for you guys or something" Qrow wondered, causing the blonde to cross her arms and glare at her younger sister.

"I would've, but someone decided to use all the eggs in an art project last night. And the flower. Plus the bacon. Basically everything I needed"

"I said I was sorry! But I wanted to see if I could make breakfast man into a real thing!" Ruby whined under Yang's gaze.

"You had a dream Ruby, breakfast man isn't gonna be real!" Yang chuckled as she reached across the table to give Ruby a nuggie.

"Yaaang, stop! Oh wait, Winter! I have something to give you! Lucky I brought them with me to finish up!" Ruby smiled as she pulled out a small red and black backpack that Winter hadn't noticed before. She pulled out a small piece of paper and handed it to Winter with the cutest smile. "Open it!"

Winter took it with a smile, and opened it up, revealing a beautifully drawn rose sticking out of a jack o'lantern with the words, _You're invited to Ruby Rose's birthday party! This Halloween only, but also every Halloween!_ In beautiful cursive. Winter smiled at Ruby, who had a convincing set of puppy dog eyes. How could she say no?

**-Authors note-**

**Like every chapter, I have to thank you guys for reading up to this point! I didn't mean for this story to become this long when I posted those first two chapters, but now I feel like I have to do this story justice no matter how long it takes. I love writing this story and hope you guys like reading it. So enjoy, see you next week!**


	33. Chapter 33

The city air was crisp and cool, with most people who were walking around needing a thick jacket to stop from shivering. All of those people with their thick jackets and hats openly gaped at Winter as she walked around the small apartment buildings in a long sleeve shirt, jeans, and sneakers. It wasn't that she had ice cold blood, like some old bullies at knew once upon a time claimed. No, Winter knew it was cold, but she liked it that way.

Her whole family was like that for some reason, except her father, though he'd never admit it. Schnees simply liked the cold. Some people in Atlas had made up a story about how Schnees were the descendants of Jack Frost and something called Scrooge McDuck. Winter had no idea why they'd say her family was like a duck, but her mother promised her it was a good thing.

The gray clouds in the sky made Winter grin and giddy, a lot like Ruby was about food. Or video games. Or anything for that matter. There was a twenty-five percent chance that it would either snow, rain, or both that night, though it was probably a few kids worst nightmares on this night in particular, it made Winter smile as she pictured Winter nights cooped up inside with Weiss and her mother.

Winter looked up at the apartment building in front of her, it was pure white and about seven stories tall. Instead of it being like her building, where all of the apartments were housed in one closed off building, this building didn't have a main lobby and simply had all of the apartment doors opening up the to elements. This place was also level and didn't look like it had been abandoned, so they each had their high and low points. Not like Winter was jealous or anything.

Winter looked down at her phone, double checking she had the right place. She nodded to herself softly and got a firm grip on the plastic bag in her hands before ascending the stairs that were slightly too close to each other. Winters feet moved quickly, one over the other, trying her best to keep herself from tripping.

By the third level of the building Winter felt her legs burning and her pace slowed down, and she made a mental note to herself to start trying to find a cheap gym somewhere. Because lord knows that not working out for a few months wasn't doing her any favors. Honestly if it wasn't for her fast metabolism, Winter was pretty sure she'd have to start finding bigger clothes at this point.

Agonizingly slowly, Winter crawled up the stairs and made it to the fifth floor. After falling onto the ground in a gasping mess and recharging her batteries, Winter finally found the strength to look out at the view. Another difference between the two buildings was that Winters was still somewhat in the city, albeit the edge of it. This place was more isolated, slightly away from the city. So it was a longer commute to the city, but in exchange Winter was pretty sure the rent would be a little lower.

Winter looked down at the number on her phone and found the power to lift herself up and to carry herself the rest of the way. Winter was also suddenly wishing that she'd walked to work more while the weather was still warm. But she'd made her bed, and now she had to suffer in it.

Soon enough Winter made it to what she hoped was the right apartment and knocked with only mild hesitation. The second her knuckles hit the wood, Winter heard movement from behind the door. At first it was just the sound of footsteps, but then it sounded like someone was throwing something, and finally there was the sharp sound of breaking glass followed by a small yelp. Winter wasn't sure what was going on behind the door, but she was suddenly getting a wee bit scared.

Before she could even consider leaving though, the door flew open, and Winter basked in the warm air that leaked out of the apartment. Standing in front of her, painting worse than Winter, was the bombastic Amy, "Winter! Come on in!" the girl beamed as she grabbed Winters wrist and pulled her into the apartment.

"Hey Amy, how're you?" Winter asked cordially as she was dragged, closing the door behind her before it was out of reach. Amy let her go and almost danced away with a big smile, her positive energy was infectious, but still didn't get rid of Winters nerves.

"I'm doing faaantastic! I finally got you to come over, didn't I?" Amy winked lightheartedly as she walked further into the apartment. Looking around, Winter found herself standing to the right of a tight kitchen, with a door open to the bathroom to her left, and a large living room on the other side of the kitchen. The whole space was very open, and was honestly more like a single big room than a few smaller ones. Someone could be cooking and easily talk with someone sitting on the couch.

"I guess you did" Winter chuckled as she slid off her shoes. The whole apartment was well furnished very simply, with a couch, a small table, a tv that was muted but playing some animated movie with a woman with button eyes. The oddest thing about the apartment was the four coo-coo clocks that were littered all over the place. There were two on the back walls, one by the bathroom, and another other the TV.

"My grandparents love clocks like these, so they always send one over around Christmas time. They're pretty cool honestly, except when they all go off at once. Lucky the landlord hates the neighbors, or they might have gotten me thrown out of here already" Amy explained with a laugh after she'd caught Winters wondering eyes stuck to the clocks.

"Don't they go off every hour?"

"Yup. But hey, it meant a lot to my grandparents to have them up, so it's not that big a deal" Amy shrugged, leaving Winter to wonder how the girl got any sleep in the night, or peace in the day for that matter.

Amy walked into another open door that led into a small bedroom and plopped herself down on the bed, "Alright, go and get changed while I get the makeup ready!" Amy urged as she pointed to a second bathroom that was connected to the bedroom. Winter nodded, gripping the plastic bag in her hands tightly as she walked into the bathroom and closed the door.

"So, are you excited?" Amy asked through the door.

"I mean, yeah. A bit nervous is all" Winter admitted as she started to undress.

"What's there to be nervous about? Aren't you just trick or treating with the girls and your guy friend?" Winter smiled at how Amy talked about Qrow, but it also made her stomach churn in guilty knots.

"Well, I've never exactly gone trick or treating before. My Father always said it was a holiday for kids, and even Schnee children were never kids" Winter sighed at the memory. Her mother had always tried to get them out of the house for Halloween, but something always came up or Father always found out and put a stop to it. But After Winter was too old, she still tried to get her baby sister out of the house and into the streets, but security always caught them.

"Wow, I'll never get over how sheltered you were as a kid. I mean, I know rich people do stuff different, but no Halloween? That's plain cruel" Amy grumbled, "By the way, thanks for telling me about, you know, your past. I had no idea you came from _the_ Schnees! I… I know it must've taken a lot to do that. So thanks for trusting me" Amy told her, sounding a lot more somber than normal.

"Thanks for not judging me or anything, that means a lot to me that you still treat me the same" Winter admitted as she got the last of her costume on. Winter looked at herself in the mirror and couldn't help but grin.

She was dressed in a pair of white and black striped pants where the stripes went all the way up her legs, with a white shirt that was tight at the body but had lots of extra fabric around the arms. She also had on a small overcoat with a coat tail and some odd fabric strap tied over her belly. Oh, she also had on a pair of tall leather boots, that she was eternally grateful she'd been able to take with her from home. The only things she was missing was the matching hat and an old saber which was sitting in her car. Overall, she was dressed as the world's best pirate. Or, that's what she was going for at least.

Winter stepped out of the bathroom with a confident walk, her hands on her hips, and her best pirate grimace on her face. When Amy heard the door open, she turned around and gasped, "Winter, that looks so good! How'd you make something like that?" Amy wondered in awe.

"You know, hard work, dedication, and going to a supermarket to overpay" Winter chuckled as she walked over and sat on Amy's bed.

"Ah, so you went the same route I did then" Amy giggled as she reached under her bed and pulled out a plastic bag that had a picture of a vampire on it.

"Huh, why the vampire?" Winter wondered, but Amy shook her head.

"Almost! I'm going as a sexy vampire!" Amy beamed as she started to take the costume out of the bag.

"But the outfit just says female vampire?"

"I'm gonna be wearing it, which turns it into a sexy vampire. Come on, did you think you were something other than a sexy pirate?" Winter appreciated the flattery, but wasn't sure she'd agree with her friend.

"Let's wait until after the make up to say that" Winter smiled as Amy sat down on the bed next to Winter and picked up some brushes.

"Close your eyes. And I guess that's fair. After all, I'm gonna spook you up good!" Amy chuckled as winter closed her eyes and felt the soft brush touch her skin. "So I don't think you ever told me though, why exactly did you want me to do... _this_ design?"

"Well, Ruby's invitation said that her goal tonight was to make the best pirate crew ever and to go take as much candy as possible before they went to the party. So, dress code is pirate" Winter explained as Amy started to really lather the makeup on her face.

"OK, I get that. But why exactly the makeup?"

"Well, she said we were gonna be more than pirates…" Winter had to keep herself from laughing at the very Ruby idea.

"Wow, that kid really has an imagination" they both laughed for a second before falling into a comfortable silence that wouldn't last long.

"So are you gonna tell him that you remember?" Amy hesitantly asked, trying her best to not push the topic.

"You know I can't. I'd lose my job if anyone found out I was romantic with a clients parent"

"Yeah, that's probably true. But do you really think James would do that to you? I mean, he really cares about you, you know that"

"Of course I do, but he has to do his job like I have to do mine" Winters voice broke while she talked, and had to bite down on her chin and close her eyes tightly to make sure no tears got out. She'd been doing that a lot ever since the concert. Amy's brush stopped moving for a second, like someone on a frozen lake waiting to see if the ice would break down beneath their feet.

"Maybe you should talk to James about it. I mean, I know you like this guy, Winter. He wants you to be happy, just like I do"

"... I'll think about it, ok?" Was all Winter could say.

"Ok, good. Also, your new looks officially complete! And I have to say… I think you're still going as a sexy pirate" Amy giggled as Winter opened her eyes.

Winter made her way back to the bathroom and was shocked at what she saw. Her face was green with rot, with bones sticking out and blood dripping from her eyes and her mouth. She had deep dark bags under her eyes and scars running across her face like she'd been hacked up. In front of her was no longer Winter Schnee. Instead, there was the horrific, zombie pirate Winter!

"This looks amazing, Amy! I look, well, dead!" Winter praised as she looked at every intricate put line on her face.

"I know, I know, I'm amazing, your welcome" Amy smiled and gave Winter a thumbs up in victory.

"Ruby's definitely getting the best zombie pirate crew ever!"

**-Authors note-**

**Hey guys! Ok, so this chapters a little bit shorter than normal because I had a lot of projects and stuff. But I still hope you guys like it, see you next week!**


	34. Chapter 34

Winter sat silently in the still running car, looking at the house where she was expected. The sun was still in the air, its golden rays illuminating the street, but it was lowering quicker every second, with the lights from jack o'lanterns quickly taking control of the night. Winter tried to put her hat on her head, but her normal bun wouldn't exactly work with a hat. Instead, her hair was going down into a long ponytail that reached almost halfway down her back. Winter admired herself in the mirror, aside from early mornings and late nights, her hair didn't get many chances to be this free.

Her heart was beating fast as she looked at the front door, exactly like it had done that past dozen or so times she'd gone to the house. Images of Qrow and her on the dance floor, her lips on his and that wonderful warmth that filled her soul to the brim. But then the images always quickly flashed to the next morning, how his eyes seemed to dull when she told him her memories had escaped her… It was the first time she'd really lied since leaving her father behind, and she didn't like it. It felt like some kind of worm, devouring her insides and leaving behind caverns that filled with guilt and sorrow.

A ding sound like a firework from the seat next to her, making her jump and almost punch the ceiling of her car. Winter put her hand on her chest trying to calm down her breathing, as her other hand went and fetched her phone and saw a message from Qrow. _Are you almost here? Kids are crazy and Ruby's being Ruby. Help. _

Winter couldn't help but laugh at the message, Qrows words somehow breaking her out of her small funk. Instead of sitting there any longer, she decided to come to his rescue. Winter straightened her hat, grabbed her saber out of the back seat, and headed out to the house.

Winter kicked in the door, after cracking it open ever so slightly, and sauntered into the home with her sword drawn and an evil grin on her face as she walked right to the living room. Not for the first time, and probably not for the last, Winter wasn't prepared in any way shape or form for what she saw.

In the middle of the room was a full blown pirate ship with a group of kids dancing and chanting around it. Now, the ship looked like it was made out of a stroller or something, but it was decorated so well it was hard to tell. It went up to Winters waist and had a hull made out of well painted paper, with paper mache cannons sticking out all up and down the sides. There was also an anchor, sail, crows nest, and a pirate flag with a poorly made drawing of Zwei on it.

Oh, and Inside the ship, leaning over the port bow, was the jolly rogers inspiration himself. Zwei was dressed in a small pirate costume that looked like a cut up baby costume, but it fit him well enough. The real impressive thing was the huge captains hat on his head that he seemed to not even notice. Now, this on its own would be a pretty weird thing to see, even in this house. But the really crazy part was that the kids around the ship.

There were a handful of kids with fake weapons raised in the air and all of them, at the top of their lungs, chanting, "We are the Zwei-rates, We are the Zwei-rates, We are the Zwei-rates!" Over and over like it was all they could say. Some of them had glass bottles in their hands and were drinking something dark that Winter hoped was pop.

In the circle was Yang, Ren, Yatsuhashi, and a girl with shoulder length orange hair that was bouncing even higher than Ruby normally does, with all of them dressed up in their zombie pirate costumes.

Ruby was standing on the couch laughing maniacally and swinging around a fake sword like a demented conductor with a huge captains hat. There was a grunt from the other side of the room and Winter noticed Qrow, also dressed up, tied with rope and sitting on the couch.

Winter thought about sneaking over to help Qrow, but what fun would that be? Instead Winter raised her sword at Ruby, who hadn't noticed her yet, "Avast small lass! Yee've taken me friend, and now I challenge thee for the right to his life!" Winter growled, trying her best to imitate those pirate movies that Qrow loaned her last week. In the back of her mind, Winter wondered if he thought something like this would happen.

Ruby turned to Winter in surprise, her eyes confused at first, before they went wide at the sight of the real saber in Winters hands. The sabre wasn't sharp or anything, but it was shiny and metal, two of Rubys favorite things. But before Ruby jumped at the sword and begged to play with it, she remembered what exactly was going on, and got back into character with her best menacing smile just as the rest of the kids turned to look at them. Qrow smirked and leaned back, suddenly a lot more content with where he was.

"Well if it isn't my greatest enemy, Whitebeard-hair, Captain Whitehair!" Ruby quickly corrected after realizing Winter didn't have a beard. "So, yee finally show your face against me, the mighty Deadrose? If yee want Qrowfoot, then come and get him you scallywag!" Ruby grinned as she raised her plastic cutlass that Winter was positive she'd made herself.

"Oh, a fight is what ye want? Then it's a fight you'll get Deadrose!" Winter called as she raised her sword over her head. Ruby got into a stance and dodged out of the way as Winter brought her sword down, maybe a little too slowly, where Ruby was standing. The kids started to cheer loudly as Ruby tried to slice at Winter, who managed to parry it just in time. Winter jumped up on the couch, but Ruby didn't give her much of a chance to adjust as she launched a fury of blows at Winters chest.

Winter managed to dodge or counter the attacks, waiting for an opening. Soon enough, Ruby made a misstep, and lost her balance, "Not bad Deadrose, but not good enough!" Winter laughed as she made a slow slash to Rubys side. Before the dulled blade could touch her though, Ruby jumped onto the floor and out of the way, rolling with a surprising amount of grace. Well, until she accidently went too far and hit the wall. But that didn't slow her down for long.

While the kids chanted the name Deadrose, Winter got close to Ruby and started to slash. Ruby was fast, dodging and parrying as well as Winter was, "Whitehair, catch" Qrow called as he threw her a sword with his feet. She had no idea how he got it, but either way Winter grabbed it out of the air with a grin and started to attack Ruby with a storm of attacks.

Ruby was thoroughly on the defensive, but still had a huge smile on her face as she danced around the two blades. Winter looked and noticed a few open spots that if she was in a match she definitely would've taken advantage of. Instead however, Winter tripped on her feet and threw her arms out as she stumbled. Ruby grinned as she took her opportunity, slicing at Winters belly.

"Ugh, yee got me! I can't believe it, the mighty Captain Whitehair, defeated!" Winter dropped her swords and fell to her knees, grabbing at her stomach like it was pouring invisible blood. Ruby grinned, taking her sword and pointing it at Winters throat.

"Yee've lost, Whitehair. In your next life… How about yee join my crew?" Ruby chuckled deeply. Then, with a mighty swing, she took Captain Whitehairs head. "For Captain Zwei!" Ruby cheered as she held up her sword as everyone cheered for her stunning victory. Well, everyone except the captured Qrowfoot and slain Captain Whitehair, not much cheering from them.

The kids swept Ruby up and took her away to talk about how awesome what just happened was. Winter sat up with a doofy grin on her face and her heart beating fast from the match. She turned and looked at Qrow who had a small grin on his face, "Not a bad show, don't worry about the loss Whitehair, Deadrose has the fiercest blade in the seven seas, or whatever. Now, do you think you can help me out?" Qrow chuckled as he struggled with the ropes tied around him.

"Of course, Qrowfoot. I mean, I just died for you- er, re-died for you. So that's the least I can do '' Winter chuckled and gave him a wink as she walked over and started to take the ropes off of him. They weren't tied or anything, but just wrapped around in such a weird way it was a lot faster to help him. "So, how'd you end up like this? You sent me a text not too long ago" Winter asked as she got the last of the rope off of him. Now that she was holding it, Winter wondered where the kids even got this much rope from.

"Deadrose told me I could sit on the deck till we left, so I sat here while they played for awhile. Then I sent you that text and she told me that I was, 'trying to call for help' and had me tied up. I mean, I was. So good on her I guess" Qrow chuckled as he stood up and stretched his arms.

"And you just let them?" Winter gaped at him, not sure how they managed to overpower the man. Qrow blushed and scratched his head as he looked at her.

"It's her birthday, am I supposed to tell her no?" Qrow questioned, and she just laughed at him.

"I think you really gotta work on that. Otherwise she'll always get whatever she wants" Winter told him as she stood up and straightened out his shirt softly.

"What's so wrong with that? They deserve it… By the way, your hair looks nice" Qrow shrugged with a soft smile, as he looked at her gently. Winter expected him to follow it up with some half-assed sarcastic comment, but instead he let the comment settle on her. The way he looked at her made her butterflies take off, as much as she tried to fight it.

"Yeah, but… don't spoil them rotten, OK?" Winter sighed, knowing that the girls really did deserve the world, "And thank you. I appreciate it" Winter added on at the end, glad her makeup was hiding her blush.

"I don't think that's possible" Qrow laughed as he finally turned away from her with a cough and walked towards the kitchen where the kids were talking, "Alright scallywags, get your stuff ready, we're heading out in five!" Qrow called loudly, breaking them out of their trance and sending them into a panic.

"Where's my bag?"

"How are we gonna get Zwei onto the street?"

"How long are we gonna be gone for?"

All of the kids were running around grabbing this and that, drifting around like grass in the wind. Except that the grass is all in a panic about not forgetting anything. Qrow took a seat at the kitchen table and gestured for Winter to join him.

"Ya know, Ruby actually wasn't that bad with her sword. If she practiced, she might actually be quite good at fencing in a few years" Winter explained as she sat down, sword in her lap.

"Oh God, please don't tell her that or she'll beg me to let her do it. She'll probably end up making her own sword to practice with- I don't wanna think about how much damage she'd do to this place with a sword… Please don't tell her" Qrow groaned and begged as he rubbed his temples, it was light enough so that like he was trying to ease his future headaches.

"I'll tell her she was good, but I won't push it. Just because you asked so nicely" Winter chuckled as he looked up at her and smiled, looking her in the eyes for longer than probably necessary.

"Uncle Qrowfoot, we're ready!" Ruby called, her small but excited crew behind her with Zweis shit ready to go with him in it.

"You sure you aren't forgetting anything you guys?" Qrow probed, not getting up yet. The kids talked quickly back and forth between themselves.

"Nope, we be ready!" Ruby grinned as the redhead next to her started to jump up and down like she had springs in her legs.

"Time to pillage the streets in search of our sweet treasure!" The girl laughed like she was losing her mind. Then, Ren walked over to her and tapped the girl on the shoulder.

"Nora, you're scaring them" He said calmly and quietly, but the girl stopped bouncing and looked at Ren, embarrassed. Then she whipped around to Qrow and Winter with a grin that took up her whole face.

"Sorry about that! I've been super duper excited for this ever since Ruby told me about it! Oh, I'm Nora by the way, not sure if you heard Ren say that or not, but whatever. Hi, I'm Nora, nice to meet you!" The girl talked even faster than Ruby, which is really saying something. She took one huge step, more like a jump actually, and landed right in front of Winter with her hand out, "Wait, I'm sorry! Do you not like getting touched like Ruby? I don't wanna make anyone uncomfortable, so I always try and give Ruby space! I should really ask everyone-"

"Nora" Ren interrupted, causing a fit of laughter to seep out of the rest of the kids.

"Right, sorry. Nice to meet you!" Nora smiled, holding her hand up again.

"Nice to meet you Nora, I'm Winter. I've heard a lot about you, I'm glad to finally meet you" Winter smiled as she shook the energetic girl's hand. She hoped that her makeup didn't make her smile look too creepy.

"Alright, a few rules real quick. One, stick together, nobody should be missing. Two, if a sign says to only take one piece of candy, take the whole bowl" Qrow smiled, the kids cheered, but Winter wasn't.

"Qrow, we can't do that! What about the other kids?" Winter complained as she stood up and gave him a look that was a mix between harsh and pleading.

"Alright, Whitehair says only take one. Sorry guys, I tried" Qrow chuckled while Nora and Ruby booed, "Third, if anyone gets into trouble, gets lost, hurt, or anything, come find the two tall zombie pirates. Fourth, don't destroy the neighborhood. And fifth, if you guys get anything with peanut butter in it, you gotta give it to me. Alright, let's go! Oh, crap, everyone be back here by eight or your parents will kill me!" Qrow pointed his own fake sword at the door and the kids rushed towards it like a starving lion.

Qrow laughed as he sauntered after them, with Winter stuck trying to fit her sword in its scabbard. She was slow, trying to get it just right as she stepped out onto the lawn. She noticed that the kids and Qrow were already pretty far down the road. She took a quick step, but tripped on the uneven cement path, dropping her sword on the lawn behind her.

"I'm sorry, baby!" Winter cried as she bent down to grab her sword. As she grabbed it, something caught her eye, leaning on the side of the steps leading into the house, lit up with the last of the sunlight, was a thin envelope. Curiosity drew Winter to it, and she picked it up carefully. It was about the size of the average birthday card, with one word carefully hand written on the front, _Ruby_. On the back was a hastily written address, but winter had no clue where it had come from.

Winter smiled as she walked inside the house, putting the small envelope on the kitchen table, propped up so it would be the first thing Ruby would see after her candy quest. Winter left the house, sword in its scabbard, closing the door behind her. The kids and Qrow had already made it pretty far down the road in the few minutes she'd been gone, and they were still running at full speed from house to house.

Qrow turned back and looked at her, a smile clear on his painted face as he waved to her. Winter was rushing over to him, when a thought hit her. If her parents had both passed away, who exactly had sent Ruby that birthday card?

The thought left as quickly as it had come, and Winter slowed down to a crawl. Because a new member had joined the crew. Moving with Yang in a pirate costume that looked like normal clothes thrown sloppily together, was the black haired and amber eyes girl who called herself Bell Donna.

**-Authors Note-**

**With all this junk going on with viruses and stuff, I hope you guys read this and relaxed for a bit, because all of you deserve it! I hope you guys enjoyed this silly little chapter, because it was really fun writing that sword fighting scene. Stay safe, stay healthy, and see you guys next week!**


	35. Chapter 35

"What're you staring at?" Qrow asked her as he poked her side with his fake sword. Winter gave a small yip as she jumped, covering her sides with her hands, ready for a tickle assault like Weiss used to do.

"Nothing! Just… Do you know who that girl walking with Yang is? The one with the black hair?" Winter questioned after she'd calmed down, nodding her head over to Yang's direction.

Yang was talking to a smiling old woman, holding up her bag and smiling with so much warmth the woman might've gotten burned. The woman gave Yang some candy, but Bella Donna looked a bit shy, standing silently behind Yang. It took a few coaxing words from the blonde before she got the courage to talk and hold out her pillow case for the woman, who happily filled her bag with candy.

"No, but she's probably just another kid from the neighborhood who Yang made friends with" Qrow shrugged, not paying it any mind. Winter watched the two girls walk away from the house, only to have a smiling Ruby run up to them, showing the girls her haul.

At first Winter thought Ruby was only talking to Yang, but Yang's lips weren't moving. Instead, it was Ruby and Bella Donna who were talking, with Yang simply smiling on the sidelines.

"Well have you seen her around the neighborhood before?" Winter wondered, the gears in her mind turning, fueled by curiosity.

"Nah, but there's tons of them running around. Sometimes I swear they just spawn into existence" Qrow sighed, clearly not jazzed about how many kids he lived by. He did have a point though, the streets were filled with kids on both sides of the street. There were dinosaurs, turtles with colorful masks and weapons, a few kids in red shirts and hats with mustaches and overalls, and tons of other fun and scary costumes.

"Maybe… But, the thing is, I saw her while we were at Yang's boxing match awhile back" Winter explained as she and Qrow walked past a few more houses, dodging out of the way as a few kids ran past them like a pack of wild dogs on a sugar high.

"So Yang made a friend, nothing crazy about that" Qrow told her with a smile as they watched Ren, Nora, and Yatsuhashi, who was pushing Zwei's ship, finish at a house and run over to meet with Ruby, Yang, and their black haired friend.

"It's not that she made a friend that's weird… Maybe I'm losing my mind" Winter grumbled as she bowed her head to the ground.

"If you're so curious, let's go talk to them" Qrow said as he silently took her hand and directed her to where the kids were standing in a crowd.

"Wait, Qrow! I don't wanna ruin their fun!"

"You don't have to say anything, Snowflake. But as for me, it's my job as their uncle to embarrass those girls in front of all their friends, and I think I've been slacking on" Qrow chuckled evilly as his course hand, warm in hers, took her right up to the kids.

"Yang, who's your friend?" Qrow probed without so much as a hint of subtlety in his voice. All the kids looked from him to Yang, to Bella Donna, clearly a bit confused. Yang's eyes went to her friend, then went back to Qrow. Her face was red, clear even through her makeup, and she stuttered with her words while looking everywhere but at Qrow.

"She's, um, ya know…" Yang stumbled through the sentence with plenty of hiccups and stumbles. Bella Donna took a step back, her eyes narrowed as her eyes left Qrow and went to Winter, looking at her with distrust, unease, and clear recognition. Winter could see the girl bend her knees and get ready to make a run for it.

"She's Yang's friend, Blake! They met at the center where yang boxes! We just ran into her!" Ruby chimed in with a big smile on her face, her fingers tapping away on the hilt of her fake sword so fast Winter could hardly see them.

Bella, or Blake, looked at Ruby with wide eyes and her jaw actually slightly open for some reason.

"Well Blake, hope these two aren't annoying you too badly, they can do that from time to time. And by that I mean they're like that all the time" Qrow laughed, as Ruby stuck her tongue out at him, but Yang was still looking at Blake.

"They aren't that bad," Blake said quietly, so softly that Winter hardly heard the girl. Blake looked over at Yang and gave her a small smile and nod, which instantly relaxed the blonde.

"Why thank you, Blake! See Uncle Qrow, not everyone's mean like you are!" Yang grinned as she walked over and put her arm around Blake's shoulders. Blake's eyes widened for a sec, but Winter wasn't sure if she minded the contact or not. Yang, probably feeling the girl tense up, instantly removed her arm and coughed into her hand like nothing had happened at all.

"Eh, give her some time, she'll learn" Qrow insisted as he gave Blake a wink, "Anyway, nice to meet you, Blake. Ooh, Peanut nutters, don't mind if I do" Qrow smiled as he reached into Yang's bag and swiped a piece of candy.

"What the heck?" Yang called, while all of the kids around her laughed, everyone but Blake, that is, who kept looking at Winter through the corner of her eyes.

"Come on, Yang, I expected you to have at least half a bag full of candy by now. Is Ruby gonna get more than you this year or something?" Qrow teased as he opened the candy and ate the whole thing in one bite.

Yang's eyes widened as she looked for her sister, who had just beelined it for the nearest house, "Ruby, I thought we had a truce this year! Ruby! Ooh no, come on Blake, we've gotta move!" Yang cried as she ran off after her sister. Blake gave Winter one last look before running off to catch up to Yang.

"Ooh Ren, Yatsuhashi, we can't lose! Come on, let's race too!" Nora cheered as she grabbed the two boys' hands and actually dragged them, and Zwei whose ship was still in Yatsuhashi's grasp, off to who knows where in search of candy.

"So, let me guess. The two of them have some bet going where whoever gets the most candy gets the others candy? I hit the nail on the head, didn't I?" Winter asked excitedly as the two adults watched the zombie pirates run around the neighborhood.

"Close. They always share their candy actually, but whoever gets the most gets to call the other one a loser for a day" Qrow explained as they started to walk down the sidewalk, trying their best to keep pace with the pirates.

"Isn't that what they do normally?"

"Yeah, but this makes it a competition, and they love competing. Plus. those two always go above and beyond when they compete, and that means more candy for me" Qrow grinned as he held up a second piece of candy she hadn't seen him take.

"I swear, sometimes you're pure evil" Winter laughed as he handed her the candy.

"Only sometimes? Dang, I was going for pure villain" Qrow sighed as he scratched the back of his head.

"Villain? Not a chance. Ruby with her fake sword is way more threatening than you any day" Winter quipped as she opened the candy and took a small bite, trying to keep some grace as well as her makeup.

Winter thought about telling him about meeting her at the boxing match and the fake name Blake had given her, or the fake name Ruby had told her. But she remembered her talk with Yang, and how she seemed to want to keep her friend a secret for some reason. Winter wasn't sure why Yang was keeping Blake a secret, but it must be a pretty good reason.

"Does Yang ever… lie to you? Or Ruby? I mean, I know most kids do, but they don't exactly seem like most kids. Not in a bad way or anything, but- You know what I mean, right?" Winter wondered with her mouth full of her foot and the candy.

"I know what you mean, don't worry. And no, not really. Neither of them likes lying, especially not Yang. the only reason I could think of them lying would be to protect each other or something like that. But I hope if it was serious enough, they'd come to you or me"

"I mean I'm their therapist and all, but I feel like they'd come to you with most of the big stuff" Winter diflected with a small laugh, but Qrow didn't look like he was joking.

"Winter, they trust you. A lot. The only people they trust as much as you are me or Maria. Even then, I think they still trust you more sometimes" claimed Qrow, without so much as a hint of humor in his voice.

"I think you're sugar coating it, Qrow. They like me, but I don't think they like me that much" Winter said seriously, but her voice was shaky and full of doubt.

"I'm not gonna spend that much time trying to convince you of something you already know is true. But I don't think anyone other than Ruby or I has ever gotten Yang to calm down after she snaps. Then with Ruby, not many people understand her like you do, and she loves that you do. I mean who on earth would have a sword fight with a kid like that out of the blue? Did you see her smile?" Qrow looked at her with pure admiration and joy at the memory. Winter blushed, she knew Ruby had liked it, but didn't really think about it until now.

"I mean, I guess that's true…" Winter admitted quietly, looking away before meeting his eyes again.

"Just… Don't sell yourself short, OK? Because you're a member of the family, you mean a lot to all of us. Even Zwei" Qrow chuckled lightly, but it died the longer the two of them made eye contact. Neither of them wanted to look away, neither of them cared about the makeup, only the eyes really mattered to them…

"Uncle Qrow, catch!" Ruby yelled as she tossed a full sized Peanut Nutter at Qrows head, nailing him right on the cheek, smearing his makeup.

"Ruby!" Qrow growled, but the girl was already running away with a laugh. Qrow stared daggers at his niece before he let out a deep breath.

"Here, let me help" Winter told him, putting her hands on the side of his face and turning his head gently towards her. It wasn't a big smear, but it left a patch of his skin without makeup, sort of messing up his whole 'zombie pirate' look. So she licked her thumb lightly and smeared his makeup around, trying to even out the coloring.

Qrow closed his eyes and looked relaxed as she tried to fix his makeup. Winter slowed her touch, forgetting about what she was doing for a second as she simply enjoyed the moment. Soon enough she had to finish her work though, and too bad Winter didn't have any extra makeup, or it might've ended up looking half decent. Instead his face turned into a blotchy mess of human and zombie, making the side of his face look more dumb than scary.

"Uh, perfect!" Winter smiled, taking her hands away slowly, walking away quickly to follow the kids who had traveled a good way down the neighborhood.

"You sure? Winter? Does it actually look good? Why are you running if it looks good!" Qrow called as she ran away from him in a fit of giggles. Qrow ran after her with a smile on his face, but she only turned back once to look.

Winter ran down the street, side stepping out of the way of kids and parents alike with a goofy smile on her face. Some of them gave her looks, but she couldn't care less. She made a sharp left, hoping that Qrow wouldn't see her, but in a weird way also kind of hoping he would.

The sidewalk was packed at this point, so Winter decided to cut through someone's yard, something she wasn't exactly sure was legal, giggling all the way.

"Winter, come on, I'm not gonna mess with your makeup… That badly!" Qrow called out over the crowd. Winter bit her knuckled to keep from laughing hysterically as she dove behind a fence, trying her best to keep quiet.

Winter's heart was pounding like crazy and her smile was huge, flashes of playing hide and go seek with Weiss and her mother popped into her head and filled her with warmth. It occurred to her then how often she had this feeling around Qrow and the girls, this levity and joy that she'd only ever experienced with two or three people in her life.

Hiding from Qrow wasn't like hiding from her father or her tutors. Hiding from there was scary, because she knew they would be mad when they found her, or at the very least make her do something she hated. But now, with Qrow, she was excited for him to find her, because that meant she would get to see him again… Was that weird?

Winter sat in silence for a few minutes, listening to the kids and parents talk about this or that while she calmed down. She had a smile on her face that she couldn't seem to force away, and didn't really want to.

"I'm sorry Blake, I didn't know you used a different name with her!" Winter heard Ruby whine from the other side of the fence. Winter's ears perked up hearing the voice.

"It's fine, Ruby. Really" Blake's clear and soft voice told her, trying to soothe the birthday girl's worry.

"I just… Why do we have to lie to them anyway? Winter's nice! She won't-" Ruby started, but was interrupted by something Winter couldn't see.

"It's not that she isn't nice, it's because it's her job. If she finds out about my parents, she'll have to tell. That's the law" Blake explained, and for once Ruby seemed at a loss for words.

"She could help though…" Ruby whispered, more to herself than to Blake.

"Ruby, stop it. Blake knows how to take care of herself. If she doesn't want Winter or Uncle Qrow to know, we have to respect that. Plus, she has us to help her!" Yang chimed in, obviously trying to help her sister feel better. Winter could hear the cheer in Yang's voice, but also the hints of something else in it… Fear? She wasn't sure.

"Come on, let's go to some more houses. After all, I'm still ahead of you, Ruby!" Yang joked, then Winter heard the girl run away quickly.

"No fair, Yang, no head starts!" Ruby yelled as she frantically chased after her sister. "You two are good friends" Winter heard Blake say softly, like she was trying to hide she'd said anything at all. Then she chuckled as she walked slowly after the sisters at a much more leisurely pace.

"**Ring… Ring… Ring"** Winter jumped at the sudden noise, hoping that Blake was far enough away not to hear her ringtone. Winter fished the phone out of her pocket before switching off the ringer and setting it to silent before answering it.

"Hello?" Winter whispered as she peaked over the fence, looking for the girls. Luckily she found them already a few houses away, and paying attention to a young couple handing out extra large candy bars.

"I give up, I can't find you anywhere. Can you come out, please? I promise I won't mess up your makeup" Qrow chuckled through the phone.

"What? Oh, yeah. Of course, where are you?" Winter asked as she crawled a ways down the fence, away from the girls.

"I'm over by 124 Evans street" He told her as she made her way over to where he was. Winter hopped the fence farther down the road, hopefully far away from where the girls were.

She was confused, and a little scared why they wouldn't want her finding out about her parents. Was something wrong with Blake's home life? Winter asked herself questions like that over and over as she made her way to Qrow, who was sitting on the tailgate of a pickup truck. She was pretty sure it wasn't his, but wasn't gonna check.

"Here, catch" Qrow told her, tossing her a random piece of candy from a small stack he had next to him. Winter fumbled, dropping it on the ground despite her best efforts.

"Shoot. Long time no see sailor" Winter smiled after picking up the disgraced candy. Winter jumped up, taking a seat beside him, their legs swinging slowly next to each other in the wind as she opened her candy.

"No kidding. Where were you hiding by the way? I couldn't find you anywhere" Qrow wondered as he leaned to the side, knocking into her and making her laugh.

"Up a tree, under a car, switched costumes… You'll never know" Winter teased as she popped the candy into her mouth with a grin. She was never overly fond of peanut butter, but these Peanut Nutters were actually quite good. She leaned back into him, the two of them in a small fight before they stopped pushing, relaxing into each other instead.

"Wherever you were, I hope you could see the stars. They're beautiful tonight" Qrow told her as he leaned back in the bed of the truck, looking up at the night sky. Winter looked down at him curiously for a second, before smiling as she leaned back, surprised to find his arm waiting for her to use as a pillow.

Winter figured he would move it when she put weight on it, but instead he simply pulled her a little closer, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. His skin was warm and comforting, so she moved closer to him, getting even warmer.

He wasn't kidding either, the stars were brightly dotting the sky in random patterns where you could see anything and everything. The moon was full and bright, illuminating everything, popping out in the night sky. The sky reminded her of the city, or maybe it was the city that reminded her of the sky, she had no idea anymore. All Winter knew was that she was looking at something truly beautiful when she looked at either.

The two of them sat in silence, simply enjoying each other's warmth and company. Winter eventually brought her eyes down to earth, looking at Qrows eyes. They were colorful, but dark, reflecting the shimmering stars in them. She watched as his eyes moved and found her own. They looked into the stars through the others eyes, and were even more captivated.

Winter didn't feel butterflies anymore, but simply felt his warmth in her arm, in her side, in his look, in her soul. Deep down the only thing that she could think, was… could she really keep herself from him?

**-Authors Notes-**

**So a quick shout out to Combine117, for always commenting on almost every chapter. It really makes my week seeing you comment, as well**

**as anyone else commenting. But thank you very much. Anyway, as always, thank you for reading, and I hope to see you guys next week!**


	36. Chapter 36

Ever since the concert, whenever Winter even so much as touched Qrows hand, she would feel her face light up and her temperature start to rise. It was annoying more than anything else, burning and stinging ever so slightly while she tried her best to ignore it. But this? This was different for some reason.

Yeah, she could feel her temperature starting to rise, degree by degree. But it wasn't that instant burning that she'd gotten so used to feeling. Instead, this was a shared warmth. It was growing slowly, naturally between the two of them. It wasn't scary, didn't give her anxiety, it was comforting. Qrows arm was wrapped around her while Winter snuggled up close to him, trying to capture more of this feeling. The warmth was making her want to close her eyes, not because she was sleepy, but because she was at peace.

Suddenly Qrow was gone, but she could still feel him next to her. Her eyes were closed, but she could almost sense him. Winter felt like she could see everything, even though her eyes were closed, and she was positive Qrow had closed his eyes too. She wondered if he was having this same, weird feeling she was.

Winter felt Qrows chest rise and fall slowly, his heart beating strongly, confidently. For some reason it reminded her of a blacksmith hammering into a glowing red piece of steel, bringing form out of it, one hit at a time.

There were a few times Winter felt her mind start to wander, to work, the girls, Weiss, or a thousand other little things, but then Qrows heart would beat again. It would clear her mind of everything and relax her all over again. While her eyes were closed, it was like she was in a void of warmth, and nothing else really mattered.

"Should we wake them up, Frank?" Winter barely heard from an echo of a world that didn't exist. It sounded like a woman whispering, and if they were whispering, then it probably didn't matter that much. Right?

"What do you mean? They're sleeping in our truck and we gotta move it, of course we should wake them up. I mean, we gotta" a man hesitantly told the woman softly.

"Qrow…" Winter groaned in a whisper, forcing words out of her mouth. She felt Qrow shift, pulling her closer to his side.

"Shh, maybe they'll go away" He whispered back, quiet enough for the man and woman not to hear him. Winter probably should've prodded him more, gotten up and apologized, but she couldn't remember what she'd done wrong.

"Oh, don't you remember when we would sneak out to the park at night, put a blanket down, and gaze up at the stars for hours? You would point out the constellations, you'd pull me close, then… Hehe, I'm sure you remember what we did next" The woman giggled, Winter heard her playfully hit the man's arm.

"Helen, come on, the kids are running around! " The man spluttered, embarrassed. "But… maybe we should do that again sometime?" Frank told the woman in a warm, low voice.

"Now who's forgetting about the kids" the woman chuckled lightly before the two of them went quiet for a bit. Winter didn't know how long they were quiet, but she definitely heard… Movement.

"Humph, uh, where were we? Oh, right. Gotta wake these kids up" The man grunted while the wife giggled.

"I suppose they've had their fun" The woman admitted with a happy sigh.

A few seconds later, Winter felt someone shake her foot. Not hard, but enough to where she couldn't ignore it.

As Winter opened her eyes and sat up, she couldn't help but notice how everything felt foreign to her. She knew what she was looking at, a tree over there, a car here, kids dressed up in costumes for some reason on the sidewalk, a man and woman in sweats in front of her. But it was like everything was going through some kind of a lens, and felt far away.

"Sorry to wake you guys up, but we gotta move the truck. Otherwise we would've left you guys alone" the large man, Frank, who was easily over six foot three, said with a chuckle. The words took a moment to register for Winter, who sat there feeling like a child.

"Course. Sorry we fell asleep here though, thought this truck was a friend of mines" Qrow told the man, giving him a smile. Qrow scooched forward before jumping off the bed of the truck. He looked at Winter, like he was waiting for her to do something.

"Oh! Sorry, my brain's still kinda fuzzy right now!" Winter blurted as she quickly moved to the edge of the bed. All three of them laughed at her, which quickly brought her back down to earth. Qrow reached out a hand to help her down, something Winter gratefully accepted. She did notice how after she got down, he didn't let go of her hand.

"We've been there before, don't you worry" the woman, Helen, hummed. Helen was a short woman, maybe five five, and had a kind face. Winter instantly liked her, and Frank for that matter.

"Well, we've got some kids to collect, so we'll be off. Thanks for being so understanding. Frank, Helen" Qrow held up his free hand and waved at them before walking away and taking Winter with him.

"Have a good night you two, and good luck!" Helen waved, before looking at Frank with a puzzled expression, clearly confused. Both of their eyes lit up and turned to look at them one last time before they got swept up in the tide of trick-or-treaters

Winter swayed a little as the two of them walked away from the couple, hand in hand with Qrow still, a small smile on her face as she watched her feet move on the cement, "Am I the only one who thinks we left knowing a little bit too much about those two?" Qrow asked with a smirk on his lips.

"Oh God, I felt so bad for them! They really didn't hold back" Winter laughed,

"Glad I'm not the only one. A part of me wasn't sure what was real there for a sec" Qrow answered with a chuckle.

"Trust me, it was real. But I sort of wish it wasn't. I can't believe you called them by their names, Qrow! They were so weirded out!"

"What do you mean? Why would that be weird?"

"Qrow… They never told us their names!" At this point Winter was laughing so hard she was wheezing, she wasn't even sure why it was so funny to her.

"Oh… Oh, shit! I didn't even realize! Maybe we'll get lucky and they'll think I'm a mind reader or something. That'll make it a bit less awkward if I ever see them around the neighborhood" Qrow looked over his shoulder, and winter saw his shoulders shake with silent laughter.

Qrow suddenly brought out his phone and frowned, "It's about time to round the kids up and haul them back home, don't want anyone's parents to get pissy with me" Qrow sighed as he looked at Winters hand. Winter pulled her hand away before he could say anything, scratching the back of her head with a shy smile.

"Should I call the girls?" Winter wondered aloud, already pulling out her phone. But before she could even check her notifications, Qrow had already waved his hand dismissively.

"Nah, what fun's that?" Qrow looked around before smiling at something. With a grin on his face that was shockingly similar to Ruby's he ran across the street at full speed, almost managing to get himself hit by a car and giving Winter a small heart attack. He looked to his left, then his right, before he climbed up on top of a metal garbage can. That was about the time Winter ran across the street after him.

He struggled for a second trying to find his center of gravity, but managed to steady himself just as Winter showed up, arms out ready to catch him if he fell.

"Do you see them? If you do, it's time to get down, otherwise you're gonna give me a panic attack!" Winter complained as she held her hand out for Qrow to take.

"Don't worry, I won't fall. Even if I do, you'll be there to break my fall" Qrow looked at her and winked.

"Don't get the wrong idea, bird brain. I'm just here to bring the body back to the house. Can't have the kids getting worried" Winter shot back with a glimmer in her eye. Qrow looked down at her with a bored expression before he stuck his tongue out at her, which she obviously returned in kind.

Winter saw Qrow look out over the sea of parents and kids one last time before, taking a few deep breaths, closing his eyes… "Zwei-rates, assemble! Qrowfoot and Captain Whitehair need their captain Zwei and his first mate, the mighty Deadrose! He also needs all of his other mighty crew before it's too late!"

He kept going on like that for minutes on end, with everyone around stopped and looking up at him like he was screaming about the end being near. Winter took a few steps back, trying her best to act like she didn't know the crazy person, giggling the whole time.

Winter felt a tap on her shoulder, and turned to find Yang smiling and holding a finger up to her lips, quieting her. Winter looked and saw all of the kids standing at her sides, and had no idea when they got their. She also saw that everyone of them had their phones out and was recording Qrows rant.

Realizing how ingenious these kids were, she grabbed her phone and started to record him too. She heard giggles coming from all around her, and couldn't help but smile at how big of a goof Qrow was being.

While Qrow was ranting like a lunatic, Winter noticed that every now and then he would turn a little to his side. It wasn't obvious unless you were looking for it, but it was clear that he knew all the kids were behind him. Winter could also see the huge grin he was sporting on his face, looking a lot happier than you might think.

Winter couldn't help but feel something in her chest grow a little as she realized he was being a dork because he wanted to entertain everyone, and he was having fun while doing it.

"Alright, Qrowfoot, I think you got the message out" Winter told him as she gently poked him in the leg, trying to get his attention. He stopped talking and looked down at her, then at all of the kids, then at all of the phones that the kids had.

"Looks like I've been putting on a bigger show than I thought" He chuckled before turning back to the crowd that was standing by and waiting to see if the show would continue, "The battle is won, the Zwei-rates are here!" He shouted before he climbed down off the garbage can without a hitch. There were a few claps coming from the crowd, and Winter hoped that they didn't go right to his head.

"Uncle Qrow, you could've called us!" Yang got out between fits of laughter as she re-watched the video on her phone.

"Really? Winter, why didn't you say anything!" Qrow asked her in mock annoyance.

"Guess I forgot, whoops" Winter laughed as Yang shook her head.

"Come on kids, let's get going. Don't want you guys eating yourselves into a sugar coma before we get to the cake" there were cheers from the kids as Qrow started to walk away with the kids following. Well Ruby was running ahead, but what else was new? The only one who didn't was Blake, who was staying behind with Yang.

"Aren't you two coming along? I don't think you wanna give your sister a chance to inhale that cake before you two get some of it" Winter chuckled as she walked up to the two girls.

"I was actually about to leave, I don't wanna cause any of you trouble" explained Blake with a ghost of a smile.

"Before cake? I know Qrow wouldn't mind if you joined us. I mean, he lives with Yang and Ruby, he knows to get extra food" Winter joked, and felt a jolt of pride when Blake actually let out a small laugh.

"We don't eat that much! OK, well, Ruby does for sure, but I don't! I mean, sometimes after I workout I can clear out the fridge, but I don't eat that much all the time!" Yang complained, looking at Blake, silently pleading for the girl to believe her.

"If you say so" Was all Blake responded with, but Yang gaped at her like she'd been verbally assaulted.

"Betrayal…" Yang whispered as she looked away dramatically, her hand over her eyes.

"Really though, I'm sure your parents wouldn't mind you staying out a little later. If you want, I can give them a call and talk to them" Winter knew that there was something about Blake's parents that she wanted kept secret, but Winter wasn't trying to force anything out. She honestly just wanted to make sure that whoever was looking after Blake, parents or otherwise, wasn't worried about her.

"I'm sure they won't care. If you're sure it won't be an issue… then I'll give them a call" The girl pulled out her phone and walked away. She started to type into her phone and held it up to her head, pacing around waiting.

Winter moved her attention away from Blake and moved it over to Yang. The blonde had a look of deep worry on her face as she watched every move Blake made, her hands halfway clenched. Yang was being protective for some reason.

"They said it's fine. I just can't be out too late" Blake explained, phone still in her hand. Yang loosened up a little, a smile on her face, but she was still tense.

"Could I talk to them real quick? I wanted to get some info from them in case anything happens" Winter asked nonchalantly. Ok, maybe now she was trying to get some information. But she was worried. Winter made sure not to advance on Blake, but the girl still took a defencive step back when Winter's eyes moved to the phone.

"They already hung up and told me they were gonna be busy for a bit. I'll call them later" Blake explained happily as she put the phone back in her pocket.

"Well alright then, no big deal. Come on, let's go get some cake, you two" Winter said before the three of them set off for the house.

As the three of them walked into the house, something felt… wrong. There wasn't any screaming, cake, eating candy, or anything. Instead, all of the kids were sitting silently on the couches, staring at each other with worry in their eyes.

"Who died?" Yang chuckled nervously as she walked into the room, trying to bring some levity to the situation. Instead of laughing, everyone looked at each other, like they were scared to talk first.

It ended up being Nora who talked first, but she lacked the hyper energy that she'd had only a few hours ago, "Yang, we aren't really sure what happened. Ruby ran into the house, excited about the cake, but when we came in she was looking at, well, we don't really know what. Next thing we know, she ran into her room and locked the door"

Yang's eyes were hollow, full of fear. Without another word she rushed over to her sisters door, right where Qrow was standing. Winter looked over at the two of them, talking fast and panicked.

Winter isn't really sure why she did it, instinct maybe? Either way, she decided to turn around and look in the kitchen. Winter walked in and found something on the ground. The envelope that had one word written on it, _Ruby_. The envelope Winter had put there for her to see.

**-Authors Note-**

**Not much to say this week, I'm excited for the next chapter and I hope all of you guys are too! As always, thanks for reading, I hope you guys enjoyed! Stay safe out there!**


	37. Chapter 37

Winter sat silently on the couch with the other kids, waiting awkwardly for Qrow and Yang to come back with the birthday girl, but nobody was really sure if that would happen or not. She tried to think of something to tell the kids to calm them down, make them not worry, but what exactly was she supposed to do? It didn't feel right lying to them about how everything was gonna be fine, when she had no idea what had gone wrong in the first place, even though she might've had a guess or two.

Emotions were washing over Winter, and none of them good. Guilt for bringing that stupid card in, shame for not knowing how to help, and anger at herself for sitting their like she was another kid over for Ruby's birthday.

Steps coming from down the hall made them all look up expectantly, but Ruby wasn't walking with her sister or uncle, and their faces were strained by sadness and worry, "Alright everyone, Ruby isn't feeling well and is gonna be staying in her room the rest of the night. She said she wanted you guys to enjoy the cake for her though, so at least you all get to go home nice and sugared up" Qrow explained, a forced smile on his face.

The kids looked at each other, nobody really believing the thinly veiled lie, "Maybe we should wait a little bit to see if she feels better?" Nora asked nervously, her bombastic energy nearly gone at this point.

"I don't think she's gonna feel better tonight, Nora. Come on, let's eat" Yang told the red head, not even able to fake a ghost of a smile. Blake was looking at Yang with concern, but kept her distance from the blonde as she walked past the group and into the kitchen. After a moment of hesitation, the rest of the kids slowly made their way after her.

Qrow stood in the hallway silently, his hand scratching his beard as he looked at the kids with sadness, "Ya know, this is the first time anyone outside of the family has come to one of their birthday parties. Usually it's just us three and Maria" Qrow told Winter without looking at her.

"I'm surprised, they're so friendly…" was all Winter could think to say, caught off guard by what he'd told her.

"Yeah, so was I" Qrow sighed, looking down at her and giving her a sad smile before he walked into the kitchen to help Yang.

Winter wasn't exactly sure what he'd meant by that, but at the same time, she didn't really care. All that it really meant to her was that Ruby must've had a pretty good reason to be in her room if this was her first birthday with friends. After all, she wasn't the type of girl to let others worry about her when she could avoid it.

Winter stood up slowly, not exactly sure what she could help with in the kitchen, but she wanted to do something. Winter had hardly taken two steps when her body froze, almost tripping over when her legs refused to budge any further. It was a weird sensation, but as much as she wanted to walk into the kitchen, her body simply wouldn't let her.

Winter tried again and again to walk forward, but her body wouldn't allow it. It was frustrating, her heart was beating as she squeezed her eyes tightly shut, trying to hold back tears. She wasn't sure what to do, wasn't sure what she wanted to do, she wasn't sure about anything. Well, that wasn't true. She knew one thing, a simple fact that permeated her whole being in this instance, she wanted to help Ruby.

It usually surprised her when her body moved without her consent, but when she turned on a dime and started to walk down the hallway, she knew she was what she was supposed to do. She did stop until she was at Ruby's door, bringing up her hand and knocking twice softly, her heart beating with nerves. She waited for a second, but didn't hear a response. Winter got quiet, and put her ear to the door, and listened closely. It was faint, but Winter could hear sniffles coming from in the room.

"Ruby, it's Winter, would… Would you mind if I came in and talked to you?" Winter hesitated, hoping that Ruby had heard her, "I know about the card" Winter added, hoping that the girl would say something, _anything_.

"You can come in…" Ruby mumbled barely loud enough for Winter to hear. She didn't wanna wait for Ruby to change her mind, so Winter opened the door and slid inside, quietly closing the door behind her.

The lights in the room were all off except for a small desk lamp which softly lit up most of the room. Winter looked around, expecting to see Ruby curled up in her bed crying, but finding the half made bed undisturbed. A small sniffle from behind her caught Winters attention, so she turned.

Ruby was sitting in her open closet underneath her hanging shirts, her knees pulled up to her chest and her arms wrapped around them like they were keeping her warm. Sitting in her lap was the small, ever fluffy Zwei, who was cuddling up to her and licking her cheek despite the makeup.

Tears were rolling down Ruby's face, and it didn't look like she was trying to stop them. Winter sat down next to Ruby, just outside of the closet, taking in the scene before her.

"Ruby, what's wrong?" Winter asked frankly, but gently, hoping to coax the girl into explaining. Ruby took in a deep breath before more tears fell down her face, her back shaking. Winter wanted to reach out and hold her, but knew that would only make things worse.

Ruby let go of one of her legs and held something out to Winter that she'd been clutching in her hand. Ruby didn't look at her as she took it out of the girl's hand, the edge of it was crumpled from how hard Ruby had been grabbing it.

It was a simple hand drawn birthday card. There was a drawing of a birthday cake on it with the number twelve drawn on like it was a large candle that was on fire. _Happy Birthday!_ was written on the front in pristine handwriting that was almost certainly an adult's handy work.

Inside the card was a pencil drawing of Ruby's face that was shockingly good. The drawing captured her glowing smile and her bright eyes masterfully, and it was clear that it had taken a long time to draw considering the detail. Beside the drawing were the words, _Happy Birthday, Ruby! I wish I could see you on your special day and how you've grown. It'll be awhile, but I know I'll see you soon. Love, Raven_.

Winter reread the message before she looked at Ruby. Getting a card like this, something filled with care and thought, would mean a lot to almost any kid, it might even make a lot of kids cry. But something about this was wrong. Ruby's tears weren't happy or excited like you might expect. No, Ruby was shivering like a leaf in a never ending storm. Something was wrong.

"Ruby, what's wrong? Do you not like the card?" Winter probed, holding the card out for Ruby to take. The girl looked at the card and reached out to take it, but her hand was shaking badly, and when she tried to touch it, she flinched like it was burning hot. She turned away without taking the card, like she was ashamed.

"Ruby, talk to me, please… What're you thinking?" Winter pleaded, trying to get the girl to say anything.

Ruby looked down at Zwei and sniffled again before she started to pet his face and scratch his ears, the whole time he kept licking her cheek, "I actually got Zwei on my eighth birthday. We weren't allowed to trick or treat back then, but Yang snuck me out. She used an old blanket to make me a cape, and told everyone I was dressed up as a superhero" Ruby had a small smile on her tear covered face.

"We found him on the street, a lost puppy wandering around without a care in the world. We were worried, so we snuck him back in the house and hid him in the closet, just until we could find his owners. We thought he would bark and give himself away, but he seemed to understand. He never made a noise" Ruby held his small head in her hands, fresh tears running silently down her face again.

"We looked for a while, but never found the owners. So Yang said we could keep him, but he had to stay quiet and out of sight. Luckily he's smart, and he knew the rules. So now Zwei and I are birthday buddies, but only a few people know," Ruby smiled strongly for a second before her lip started to tremble, and all of her composure shattered into a million pieces and she buried her face in Zweis' side.

"She would've known if she didn't hate me! She found out about him and… And… I always tried to be good, it was the one time I wanted something for me, but didn't care! She never even gave me a chance! All she did was yell at me and tell me to sit in my room and be quiet! Well I did, but I had Zwei, and I had Yang, and now I don't have to be quiet! I don't have to listen to her anymore!" Ruby screamed and bawled into Zweis' side loudly, and Winter was glad Zweis fur was muffling most of the noise. She stopped yelling and hugged Zwei tighter. But he didn't seem to mind. The only noise coming from her now was moans of anguish and hurt.

Winter wanted nothing more than to hold her, stroke her hair and tell her it was ok. She pictured Weiss sitting in front of her, pictured Yang, Jaune, Ren, and even a younger version of herself, and wanted to help them all, and for God's sake she was going to try. Taking a leap, Winter reached out and put her hand on Rubys, hoping that the girl didn't have a panic attack.

"Ruby, you aren't there anymore. You don't need to be scared of her anymore, you're safe. You're with Yang, Zwei, and your silly Uncle Qrow now. Zwei doesn't have to sleep in the closet, and you don't have to be quiet anymore. In fact, we all love it when you're loud. Do you wanna know why?" Winter asked her as she rubbed her thumb gently on Ruby's hand, trying to get her to relax.

Ruby turned her head to look at Winter, snot and tears stuck to her face, but curiosity in her eyes, "Why?" It was all ruby could get out between hard breaths.

"Because, it's who you are. You're loud, fun, caring, and you're so sweet and loving. Anyone who doesn't accept that, who doesn't want you to be yourself, they don't deserve to be in your life. Don't you agree?" Winter smiled at the girl as she squeezed her hand. Ruby didn't move her hand, but she looked away sheepishly.

"I guess. She always said I was annoying… I try not to think about it, but sometimes I feel so bad for talking so much, I can't help myself though" Ruby wept.

"Then she didn't deserve to be in your life. Ruby, you're an amazing young woman with a huge heart, if you wanna be loud, then be loud! Because that's who you really are, and that's who everyone out there came here to see, you" insisted Winter, her words bringing Ruby's gaze back to her own. "You're Ruby Rose, Deadrose the first mate of the Zwei-rates, you can't let someone who doesn't care about you change who you are! You're safe, loved, and she can't hurt you anymore. You get to be you, forget whatever nonsense she told you. Listen to what someone who does care for you has to say, screw her," Winter winked at Ruby, who couldn't help but giggle at Winters words.

Ruby lifted her head up and sniffled, looking at Winter with a small smile and teary eyes. Winter moved closer and used her sleeve to wipe off some of the girls tears, with Ruby hardly batting an eye.

"There you go, much better" Winter smiled as she finished cleaning the girl up, her sleeve covered in makeup and tears. Ruby looked like she was about to say something, but stopped herself. Instead she moved Zwei off her lap and sat on her knees in front of Winter. She looked nervous, but not as terrified as she'd been a minute earlier.

Without another word Ruby leaned forward slowly and wrapped her arms around Winter's neck. Shocked didn't even begin to describe how Winter was feeling right now, it felt like her heart had stopped and she was in some weird afterlife. Not wanting to waste what could be her only chance for a real hug with this girl, Winter wrapped her arms around the small girl's frame and pulled her in tight.

"Thanks, Winter" Ruby told her quietly, pulling winter in tighter. Yang's hugs were tight and powerful, and even though she was only a kid, they could make anyone feel safe. Rubys on the other hand were gentle, warm, and filled with a sense of caring that was comforting.

Winter put her hands on Ruby's back, and even through the thick shirt she was wearing, she could still clearly feel the scars that were covering Ruby's back, and just like Yang had told her, it felt like she had more than Yang did.

Winter felt a rage burning inside of her like she hadn't known in a long time. It wasn't simple anger, it was hatred. Winter might not have known the whole story yet, but she knew that it wasn't Qrow who had caused those scars on Yang and Ruby's backs, it was Raven, and Winter could never forgive her for that.

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you…" Winter heard from the other side of the door. The two of them pulled away, Winter with a smile and Ruby looking at the door in confusion. Ruby got up quickly and opened the door. Standing outside were all of the kids holding a big birthday cake that was shaped like a rose that had twelve bright candles burning on top of it.

Ruby stood there with wide eyes and a slack jaw as she looked at the faces of all of her friends who were singing to her with big smiles. Winter stood next to the girl and smiled down at her as she joined in the singing.

"Happy birthday dear Ruby, happy birthday to you!" Everyone finished and watched excitedly as she took a deep breath and blew out all of the candles in one go. While everyone cheered and clapped, Ruby had a star struck look on her face as she looked around at everyone. Qrow was standing to the side looking from Winter to Ruby with a smile on his face, like he figured something like this would happen.

His look changed to one of disbelief as he looked down and saw ruby wrap her arms around his chest. He looked at Winter, almost as if he was making sure this was real. He bent down and got a better hold of his niece, wrapping her up in his arms, one of his hands resting on the back of her head as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

He started out holding her gently, almost as if she was made of glass. But when she pulled him in even tighter, he pulled her and gave her a hug with all of his strength. Ruby didn't shy away from it, instead it looked like it was relaxing her even more. Qrow closed his eyes tightly, almost like he was in pain as he hugged her tight, neither of them saying a word.

Everyone looked back and watched, with everyone there except for maybe Blake knowing exactly how much ruby hated to be touched by anyone other than her sister. But here she was, starting a hug with her uncle. Winter smiled as she watched the two of them and wondered, was this the first hug the two of them had ever shared?


	38. Chapter 38

The next few hours were more fun than Winter thought possible. The kids ate cake, traded candy, and Ruby even went toe to toe with everyone in that video game she liked to play, managing to put everyone in their place easily. She was always nice about it though, even offering advice mid fight. Nora kept challenging Ruby to rematches, but never really came close to beating Ruby. But that was partially because Nora said she'd lick Ruby's face if she took it easy on her.

By ten, the kids sugar high was crashing down, and everyone was starting to slow down except for Ruby and Nora, but that's par for the course. Parents started to pick up kids one at a time, each of them talking to Qrow for a few minutes about what had happened, how the kids were, and all that good stuff.

Winter watched as Ruby said her goodbyes to all of her friends, promising to see them at school. The last thing Ruby did, for every guest, was give them a quick hug. Winter saw how scared Ruby was, looking away before basically jumping on the person, pulling away before they realized what was going on. Each hug lasted half a second at best, but Ruby managed to do it every time. Winter was proud of how much progress Ruby had made in such a short time.

By ten thirty, everyone had finished removing their makeup and it was just the girls, Qrow, and Winter left. Winter plopped down next to Yang, who was playing with Zwei on the couch, and started to watch Qrow and Ruby play their fighting game while they sat on the floor together.

"Hey Yang, what happened to Blake? I don't think I saw her leave" Winter had tried her best to say goodbye to all of the kids at one point or another, saying thank you for coming and all that, but she'd either missed Blake's parents or they hadn't come. Honestly it was like Blake was there and then she'd suddenly vanished.

"Oh, um, you must've missed her. She doesn't like to say goodbye, so she usually slips out silently at some point" Yang explained as she grabbed Zweis ears and started to twist them around gently, her eyes never leaving the dog.

"Her Parents didn't wanna talk to Qrow? Qrow, did you talk to Blake's Parents?" Winter tapped Qrow with her foot, pulling his attention away from the t.v. for a moment.

"What? No, never seen them" Qrow told her, half turning his face to her, his eyes glued to the game. He was doing pretty well against Ruby, who knows, maybe he'd even take one of her lives.

"Huh, weird. Have you met her parents?" Winter asked the blonde as she leaned back into the sofa, looking at Yang's eyes closely.

"No, but she's told me a lot about them. They seem fine, I guess" Yangs tone was harsh, almost criticising.

"Hopefully we get to meet them soon, Blake seems like a pretty cool girl" Winter said this as she started to pet Zwei behind his ears.

"Right?" Yang chuckled, a goofy smile on her face as she leaned down and gave Zwei a kiss on the cheek.

"Yes!" Qrow cheered, standing up with his hands over his head, the controlor still clutched in his hand.

"Great job uncle Qrow, I knew you could do it!" Ruby chirped from the ground, giving her uncle a big thumbs up.

"Wait, you beat her?" Yang gaped at him. Qrow turned around, pride shining in the night.

"Nope! But I got her down to one life!" Qrow grinned. Winter let out a huff of air, not impressed.

"Come on, that's not that-" Winter started, but was interrupted by Yang.

"I knew we could do it! Ha! Your time in the spotlight's coming to an end little red! If I was playing with him, we probably could've won!" Yang jumped from the couch right into Qrows arms and wrapped him in a bear hug.

"Hehe, I'm looking forward to it! If you guys use Winter, it'll be even easier for you guys too!" Ruby smiled as she stood up and looked at the white haired girl who was now blushing furiously. Qrow set Yang down, the two of them sharing a look, clearly not thrilled with the idea of Winter helping.

"Come on guys, I'm not that bad!" Winter whined, after the room fell into silence.

"You have… Potential" Yang hesitated, clearly reaching for something that wasn't negative to say about her skills with the controlor. Winter grumbled, but there wasn't anything she could really say to defend herself.

"A few more lessons and you'll be well on your way" Qrow told her, sending a smile her way that was filled with warmth. She appreciated him trying to make her feel a bit better, and managed to crack a smile back.

"Alright kids, time for bed. It's late, and I can't have you guys passing out at school more than usual" Qrow told the kids as he plopped down on the couch.

"Wha- But uncle Qrowwww, it's my birthday" Ruby complained as she stuck out her bottom lip and tried to give him a huge set of puppy dog eyes. Qrow had apparently been learning, because he was looking everywhere but his niece. Ruby was determined though, because she stood up and walked right in front of Qrow, looking up at him with the power of a thousand puppies, "Pleaaase, just a bit longer?"

Winter watched Qrows eyes slowly start to fall down to his niece, no matter how much he tried to fight it, "How about I pack a piece of cake in your lunch tomorrow instead?" Qrow spat out before he could completely give in.

"Ooh, deal! I'll go get ready!" Ruby squealed as she ran back to her room.

"Not a bad trade" Winter smiled as she pulled her legs up to the couch, sitting cross legged.

"For me it was a good deal. Her teachers might call and complain about how hyper she is tomorrow though" Qrow sighed as he walked into the kitchen.

Winter got up and followed him silently, watching him pull out meat bread, and a whole assortment of food. He hummed to himself as he danced around the kitchen, making food.

"You're making their lunches?" Winter questioned as he started to put stuff in plastic sandwich baggies.

"Every night. Try and make their breakfasts every morning, but school has these kids getting up way too early some days" Qrow chuckled as he pulled out red and yellow lunch boxes from under a cabinet.

"Wow, I had no idea… That's really nice of you Qrow"

"It's not that big of a deal. Those kids deserve it, ya know?" He told her as he zipped up the lunches and tossed them in the freezer, but not before he tossed a small piece of cake in both boxes, "Yangs gonna give hers to Ruby, but I gotta put it in her box or Ruby gets sad" Qrow explained, clearly having gone through this before.

"Alright, we're going to bed!" Ruby smiled as she hopped into the kitchen dressed in her pajamas. Yang chose to walk in, it was a bit late for her to hop like her sister.

"Night, love you uncle Qrow, see you soon Winter" Yang smiled, her eyes already starting to droop from exhaustion.

Ruby was about to say something, but decided against it, simply walking up to Qrow and giving him another hug, "Thanks for a great birthday Uncle Qrow, love you" Ruby tried, and failed, to whisper. Then she bounced over and gave Winter a hug, "Thanks for talking to me, it… It helped" Ruby told her, before leaping backwards next to Yang.

"Night, kids. Love you to" Qrow smiled, leaning back onto the counter of the kitchen.

"Sweet dreams, girls," Winter said, watching as Yang looked at Ruby with pride in her sleep filled eyes, and the two of them walked to their rooms without another peep.

There was a moment of silence between the two adults, both of them simply enjoying the first bit of peace in hours. Soon enough though, Qrow was stretching, yawning, which made Winter realize just how tired she was. It had been a long few hours for sure.

"I should probably head out, it's getting late" Winter sighed, not really wanting to go anywhere.

"I guess. Come on then, I'll walk you to your car" Qrow told her, walking over to the front door, sliding on a pair of flip flops. After Winter had managed to get her shoes on, which took longer than you might think, the two of them walked out the door.

Winter pulled her jacket a bit tighter around herself, the cold taking her by surprise. Jack-o-lanterns, street lamps, and the moon lit the night in a beautiful sort of way, reminding Winter of a kind of carnival with how magically bright everything looked around her.

Qrow was clear to her, another thing she wasn't expecting in the night. He was walking slowly behind her, almost like he was dragging his feet. He suddenly stopped, reaching out and putting a hand on her shoulder. Winter paused, turning around to see what he wanted.

"Winter, I… well, Um… screw it"Qrow mumbled to himself before he leaned in and placed his lips on hers.

Winter hadn't exactly been in the best state of mind the first time they'd kissed, and it had crossed her mind that maybe it had only been so good because of the vodka. She was wrong. Dead wrong. His lips were soft, warm, and were intoxicating. Qrow softly cupped her cheek with his hand, and the two of them pulled back, gazing into each other's eyes before coming together again. Winters fingers were in his hair, pulling him closer, her whole body feeling like an electric current was running through her, becoming stronger the more they touched.

As quickly as her joy had started, it ended, but not because the kissing had. Instead, Winter felt her stomach drop, and she moved her hand from Qrows hair to his chest and started to push him away lightly. It took him a moment to realize she'd stopped kissing back, but moved away when he figured it out.

"What's wrong, I- I thought…?" Qrow couldn't even talk, he looked at her like he was completely lost.

Winter bit her bottom lip, suddenly on the verge of tears that hadn't been there a minute ago. Qrow moved closer, and draped his arm around her. Winter wanted to push him away, but it felt so nice, so warm… But all she could manage to do was to shake her head, which was enough for him to pull away.

"Qrow… I… Ruby told me about Raven. Well, sort of. She sent Ruby a birthday card, and Ruby said some things, but- Jesus, Qrow. Those scars? They're bad. Really bad. What the hell did she do to those girls?" Winter blubbered, tears starting to leak out of the edges of her eyes thinking about what she'd seen on Yangs back. What she'd felt on Ruby's.

Qrow balled his fists as his eyes grew dark, "I thought it was weird when she didn't send a card. Ruby must've found it before me" Qrow spat, as he stepped away. Placing his fists on his temples and swearing quietly.

"What? Qrow, I'm confused, Ruby acted like she'd never seen a card like that before" Winter wondered, placing a hand on his shoulder, bringing him back down to earth.

"She sends two every year to each of the girls. One for Christmas and one on their birthdays. Yang knows, but she never opens them. Ruby on the other hand… We've managed to keep her from seeing them so far. I guess until tonight that is… I thought she'd finally given up, stupid" Seethed Qrow, Winter wasn't sure if he was more angry at Raven or himself.

"Who is she though? Why's she sending cards to the girls?" Winter asked, squeezing Qrows shoulder again. Qrow sighed, dropping his fists to his sides, calmer.

"She's my sister. She was the one who took the girls in when Tai and Summer died"

"Wait, but I thought you-"

"No. Not at first. I was in the military at the time. I could've taken them, or at least tried, but… I didn't" Qrow explained, his voice full of regret, his eyes looking at the ground in shame.

"Why Raven though? You're their uncle" Winter asked, trying to wrap her head around what was going on.

"Technically, I'm Yang's uncle. She's Raven's daughter, and Ruby's was Summers. She and Tai broke up after Yang was born, but the state thought that Yang should go with her birth mother, even though neither were thrilled at the idea. Ruby went with Yang, no way those two were getting split up" Qrow explained everything with anger and annoyance in his voice, clearly not happy with the way things had turned out.

"How long were they there for?" Winter wasn't sure if she wanted to know the answer anymore, but she had to ask.

"About two years," Qrow said solemnly, unable to look at her. Winter took a step back, shocked. She wanted to say something, but her throat was too tight to let air in, let alone out.

"I tried talking to them about it, but they don't like talking about it. All I got out of them was that it wasn't always that bad. Raven just started to get angrier and angrier the longer they stayed with her, then… Those scars" Qrow didn't need to go into detail, Winter could paint the picture well enough on her own.

"Where is she now?" Winter squeaked out, her voice shaky and weak. Something moving in the window of the house caught her eye, it was simply a black blurr. Or at least she hoped it was.

"Prison, thankfully. She'll be there for a few more years. She sends those cards because it makes her look good to the parole board. 'See, I love my girls because I send them cards', bitch" Qrow cursed.

Winter took a second to breathe, her hands were just as shaky as her voice. Winter had always suspected something like this, hell, Yang had all but confirmed it. But to hear it like this, from Yang's own mother no less? Something about that had rocked Winter to her core.

Winter took a step closer to Qrow, and wrapped her arms around him. His arms stayed at his sides, he was breathing hard and she could feel his heart pounding fast. It was clear he was barely keeping his temper under control.

"Qrow… This must've been so hard for all of you"

"It's not hard for me, it's hard for the kids, Winter. I mean, what they've been through, I could've-"

"No," Winter cut him off, "This is about all of you. You've had to become a father figure for these girls by yourself, and that couldn't have been easy. Not at all. But here you are, and those girls really do love you. Without you, they wouldn't be close to this happy" Winter consoled him, rubbing his back, feeling his heartbeat start to slow the more she talked.

"I still could've-"

"Qrow, really, shut up. You can't change the past, so stop dwelling on it. You're here, helping them, loving them, _now_. Without you, they'd be lost, dummy. So you gotta accept that, stop feeling so guilty, so you can be happy. Because that would make them happy, right?" Winter tried her best to use some kind of logic with Qrow, to make him see that he was doing everything he could. Sad thing is, Winter knew that if he didn;t accept that himself first, nothing she said would matter. But at least she told him.

Qrow was quiet for a long time in Winter's arms, not saying anything and not moving. She felt his muscles relax, the tension leaving him the longer their embrace went on.

"Maybe you're right" He admitted, as he let out a long sigh, "But you're important to them too. I have no clue what you said to her, but Ruby's never been that touchy with anyone but Yang. You're really helping them" Qrow told her, looking down at her with a small smile. Winter returned it, but with a lot more sadness.

"That's why we can't do this. Part of the reason, anyway" Winter muttered, taking a step away from Qrow, but wrapping his hands in hers. "Those girls, they need to talk about all of this stuff. For the past few years they've had to bottle all of it in, and that's not good. It's part of why Yang can snap like she does, or why Ruby had those panic attacks. They need someone they can talk to, and right now, that's me" Winter looked into his eyes and could see the lights of the jack-o-lanterns dancing alongside sadness.

"I mean, what if we break up? Then what happens? Would they trust me still, or would they close off? Because thinking about those girls losing anyone else they can trust… It breaks my heart, Qrow. Not even to mention if my boss found out, I'd probably lose my job, and if that happens then I can't… That can't happen, Qrow" Winter tried to explain herself calmly, but she could feel her bottom lip start to quiver, and tears start to stream down her face.

It wasn't just the fact that she couldn't be with Qrow, it was more than that. It felt like she was losing everything the two of them _could_ have been. Maybe they would go on dorky dates, talk about life, fall in love, get married, live their lives together, be _happy_ together. But her words seemed to be pushing that away, and it was breaking her heart losing what could possibly make her so happy.

Qrow stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her, his fingers playing with her hair and moving along her back, trying to calm her down. "Winter, it's ok. I get it. Some things just… aren't meant to be I guess. Yang and Ruby need you a lot more than I do, and you have to worry about your own life. I understand"

Winter looked up at him and saw a small smile on his face, but there wasn't any joy behind his eyes. There wasn't any emotion behind his eyes. It looked like he had shut everything out, at least for right now, trying to keep it together for her. Winter couldn't look at him for long before the tears started to fall down her face even harder.

She wanted him to cry, but he was acting strong for her. She wanted him to yell, or scream, and to be mad, because that would be fair. It wasn't fair that she was the only one who could express how horrible she felt, because she could tell he wanted to break, to let go. He stayed strong for her, which simply made her cry more.

**-Authors note-**

**It really makes me sad writing sad scenes like this, but at the same time, I totally love it. Maybe I'm evil, I don't know, doesn't matter though! Hope you guys enjoyed the current chapter, and hope you stay tuned to see where it goes! Also, I feel like I have to say that I do have an ending for this whole thing, just gotta write it!**


	39. Chapter 39

To say it was hard to let go of Qrow would be an understatement. It felt wrong pulling away from him, the warmth of his arms was fading from her far too quickly, leaving her nearly shivering in the wind. She was used to the cold, but this was probably the coldest she'd ever really been, if only it had something to do with the wind.

"Do you not want me coming to game night, or hanging out as much? Because if not, that's fine. I totally understand if that's the case" Winter explained quickly. She wanted to come to game night, they were so fun after all. But she didn't want to ruin it for him, and she hoped he would be able to tell her no, but honestly, she doubted he would.

"It's fine. You're a part of the family, and the girls need you. Besides, Yang and I are gonna need your help if we're ever gonna beat Ruby at that damn game" Qrow's voice was soft and light, with a shadow of a smile on his face. He was trying to force a smile, trying to lighten the mood like he always does, but it was obvious that he was forcing himself.

"If you're sure, Then I guess I'll be here… Qrow, I'm so sorry" Winter told her as she reached out and tried to take his hand, one last time. When she got close though, Qrow flinched, pulling his hand away. He stopped himself as soon as he realized what he was doing, but they both knew. Winter met his eyes, and Qrow looked at her with guilt in his soul, even though it was her who should've felt guilty.

"You don't have anything to be sorry for, Snowflake. I'll see you soon" Qrow smiled at her sadly for a second, before his composure broke for a second and his smile fell. He tried to put it back up, but couldn't. Instead, he turned away, and took a deep, trembling breath in. He walked back to the house, leaving Winter standing there, watching him. He opened the door, looking at her, raising his hand in a small wave before closing the door behind him, leaving her all alone…

Winter watched the house for a second, making sure her breathing was steady and even. She pictured Ruby and Yang, some of the brightest and kindest girls she'd ever met, and hoped she was doing the right thing. But she couldn't help but wonder if she was wrong.

Winter pictured herself walking up, knocking on the door. Qrow would open it, confused, before she flung herself into his arms and begged him to take her back, telling him how she had been wrong. He would take her in, they'd fall asleep together, before waking up and having breakfast as a family… Winter hadn't even realized she'd started walking towards the house.

She had to stop herself. Biting her lip as she dug her heels into the earth, and turning away from the house and moving towards her car. It was like fighting against the pull of a magnet, with every fiber of her being getting pulled back towards the house. She had to fight hard to walk away, and for a moment, she turned back, the pull winning for an instant, and saw a blob of darkness from a window. It was only there for a second before it vanished, but Winter thought it was Qrow watching her go.

Her bug started without a hitch, but that didn't stop Winter from simply sitting there for who knows how long. There was no music, no heat, thoughts, she simply existed in that small bug that had taken her away from her father and Weiss. Winter wondered if leaving her life behind, her father, her sister, was really worth it. What was she really after, anyway? Sure she has some freedom, some choice in her life now, but if all that amounted to was this pain… Who really wanted that?

She forced these thoughts out of her head as she finally put her car in drive, heading back to her apartment. The roads were empty, but she drove slow regardless. She kept the radio off, not in the mood to sing or dance, simply letting the cold attack her. Before she knew it she was walking into the lobby of her building.

"Well aren't you back late" Earl chuckled as he circled something in his book. Winter didn't even try to smile, knowing he was too engrossed in his book to pay attention to her.

"I was at Qrows house, it was Rubys birthday party" Winter explained flatly. Winter heard him set his book down and look up at her, which was enough to make Winter pause.

"What did he do? Did he try anything? If you want me to go over there and -" Earl started, but Winter shook her head, and he stopped talking. Winter smiled at how he had instantly jumped to defend her, it made her feel special for some reason.

"He didn't do anything. I had to, well… I had to tell him that we couldn't be together" Winter told him, her smile already fading. Earls' fight seemed to disappear for a second, looking at her in a different light. He looked unsure of what to say for a second before he stood up slowly and walked around his desk.

"Look, I know I probably hurt him. I mean, I'm sure I hurt him… But what else could I do? Risk my boss finding out, losing my job? Then the girls lose the one person they can really rely on! How am I ever supposed to take care of Weiss without a job? There's no court in the world that would award custody of her to someone my age without a good job! What should I have done then? Let one little crush ruin all that? Of course not! It's not my damn fault!" When Winter stopped talking, finding her voice hoarse and worn, not even realizing how loud she had gotten until she had finished talking.

Earl looked at her with calm eyes, even though she expected him to be more mad at her for yelling at him, "It sounds like you've had a long night. I might not know about all that stuff, your job or what you're gonna do with that sister of yours, but I wish I could tell ya what to do. But, it seems like you need a hug right about now, does that sound right?" Earl smiled at her gently, not pressuring her at all. The hug was there if she wanted it, and she did.

Winter moved forward, silent as a ghost, and wrapped her arms around the old man's neck. Yang and Rubys hugs were warm and comforting, but Earls was more reassuring. Like he said, he didn't know a lot about her issues, but he was there to support her if she needed it. Winter hadn't gotten too many hugs like that in her childhood, but it was nice to have them now at least.

The hug was quick, but it was just what Winter needed to calm down. When she pulled away from him, Winter felt a bit more stable. The torrent of emotions that had sprung up while she was talking weren't gone, but they were calm for now at least.

"If you ever need someone to talk to, or just to yell at, you know where I'm at" Earl laughed as he started walking over to his desk. Winter managed to find one last smile for the night, no matter how small it was.

"Thanks, Earl… I needed that" Winter said as she pushed the up button for the elevator.

"Any time. You're a lot more important than this damn book after all" Earl told her as he sat down in his chair, giving her another grin as he picked up his book and waved it at her.

The door opened and Winter walked in and pushed the button for her floor without another word. Soon enough, she was moving up and away from Earl. An odd thought struck her at some point between floor four and five; that was the first time someone older she looked up to had ever told her she was more important than an object. It was odd realizing it, after all, who knew something like that? But Winter was sure, without a shadow of a doubt that was the case.

It was a somber walk to Winters apartment, but at least it was quick. Because soon enough she was inside of her comfy apartment with a locked door separating her from the rest of the world.

For once, she was happy to be living by herself. There was nobody there to pretend for, and nobody she had to think about. It was just her. Winter turned on the tv that Qrow had given her, popping in a random movie out of the stack that Qrow had given her. She barely glanced at the cover, but she noticed a man with a black and white striped suite and a man without a head. All the movies Qrow had loaned her were 'classics', and all of the movies she'd watched so far had been pretty good.

She didn't sit down to watch it though, instead she decided to do her usual routine to get ready. She took a quick shower, washing the rest of her makeup and grime off of her from the long night. She got dressed in a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, she'd been sleeping in something similar to this since that night at Qrows house. She found that they were way too comfortable, and had gotten a pair like his pretty quickly. She made herself a small snack, and finally plopped herself down on the couch in time to catch the second half of the movie.

Winter wasn't sure why, but something suddenly popped into her head. She went and grabbed her laptop from her room and brought it back to the couch. Winter had a work computer at the office, but when had asked her if she wanted a work laptop, how could she say no?

Being a child psychologist, Winter sometimes had to deal with kids through the state. Over the past few months, she'd made a few connections to government workers who worked with those kids. Some of those connections had access to things like children files and things of that nature. Winter wrote a quick email to one of her closer contacts, sending her a quick description of a certain black haired girl who had up and vanished at some point in the night.

Winter felt a little guilty about trying to find out info on Blake like this instead of simply asking the girl. But something about her situation sent lightning up and down her back. She wasn't looking for anything major, just enough to see if the girl was safe. Things like police reports, abuse cases, and things like that were pretty easy to find as long as you knew where to look.

When the email was sent and done with, it was getting pretty late. Winter put her computer down and stretched, picking up her phone to see what time it was. That was about the time her heart stopped

Winter had forgotten that she'd set her ringer to silent earlier in the night, so she hadn't known that Weiss had called her twice. Now, for some people, two calls might not seem like that big of a deal. But Weiss wasn't the kind of girl to only call twice. She called, and if you didn't pick up, she would keep calling and texting you until you did. So two calls was worrisome to say the least.

Winter called back the second she saw the calls. She couldn't sit still and was on her feet, pacing around the apartment. Every one of her muscles was tense, her stomach filled with anxiety and fear. Instinctively, Winter looked at her keys that were sitting on the kitchen counter. Winter was thinking about how long it would take to drive back to Atlas, or if that took too long, what the probable expenses would be to find a flight there with such short notice.

"Hey," Weiss' gentle voice said, cutting off Winter's plans mid-thought.

"Weiss, hey! I'm so sorry I didn't pick up earlier, I was out with some friends and my ringer was off. I know it shouldn't have been, I always need to keep my ears open for you" Winter explained in one quick breath, leaving her breathing heavily.

"It's fine. Don't worry about it" Weiss told her simply, her voice was reserved and quiet.

"Anyway, what did you wanna talk about?" Winter asked, her anxiety hadn't eased up on her in the slightest.

"It's nothing. I shouldn't have called" Weiss said matter of factly.

"Wha-Weiss you can always call me, you know that. Plus, you never call without a reason. So come on, what was up?"

Weiss was quiet, just breathing, for a few seconds. Like she was debating telling Winter something. Weiss didn't do that very often, and it scared her more than she could ever explain.

"I was calling to tell you that I was trying to sneak out for Halloween" Weiss explained, sounding embarrassed but also annoyed that she'd said something.

"Really? Well, did you make it?" Winter asked hopefully. Weiss was always a lot sneakier than Winter, and probably had a better chance of getting out by herself.

"...No. The guards found me, and took me to father. He wasn't happy"

"Weiss, did he say anything to you?" Winter questioned, her stomach dropping the second she brought up their father.

"He just… explained some things to me. He told me that I shouldn't let you ruin what I could do. I know he didn't mean it though, he just didn't want me sneaking out"

Winter was shocked to say the least. She had always known that their father had held, let's just say some mixed feelings about his eldest daughter. But for him to outright say something like that? To her own sister? It stung. Then something else popped up into Winter's mind that was much worse.

"Weiss, did he… Did he hit you?" Winter voice quivered as she asked the question. Before Winter had left, she never thought he could hit his daughters. But now? Winter could still feel her cheek burn from the back of his hand to this day… It didn't help that Weiss didn't answer right away, "Weiss, did he?"

"He didn't hit me!" Weiss snapped, her emotions suddenly lashing out, "He just… He grabbed me a little hard. He would never hit me" Weiss explained, sounding ashamed of herself, like she wished she hadn't said anything.

"Oh my God, are you ok?" Winter asked in a panic, her heart clenching.

"Yes, I'm fine. It's not that big of a deal, ok, Winter? Just… Lets not talk about it, ok?" Weiss pleaded, clearly wanting the conversation to move on.

"Weiss, this isn't something little like him yelling at us for sneaking out, he can't grab you like that! You could get hurt!"

"It's fine, Winter! He told me that he was sorry and that he wouldn't do it again, and I believe him. So could we just, please, not talk about it anymore?" Weiss sounded like she was on the brink of tears at this point, which only made Winter feel more guilty. She wanted to keep talking about it, but she didn't want to upset her sister anymore…

"Promise me, right now, if he does anything like that again you'll call me right away. Don't even bother arguing Weiss, this isn't negotiable" Winter told her sister sternly, not in the mood to argue about this.

"Ok, I will"

"Promise me" Winter challenged her sister.

"Ok, fine. I promise I'll tell you if he touches me again. Which he won't. Happy?" Weiss relented, finally giving into her sister.

"Thank you. But no, of course I'm not happy. I'm not there for you after all…" Winter sighed, suddenly feeling deflated and exhausted.

"Winter, it's fine. I've told you that before and I'll tell you that as many times as I need to. It's getting late, and I have an early day tomorrow" Weiss told her sister, her voice sounding as tired as Winter felt.

"Oh. Yeah, of course. I'll call you soon, OK?"

"Sure, sounds fine. I love you" Weiss told her sister quickly.

"I love you too, Weiss," Winter said softly before the line went dead.

The phone seemed to slip out from Winters grasp without her even realizing it, hitting the floor as Winter stood there with her hand still next to her ear. Winter felt weak all of a sudden, the noise from the movie seemed to vanish. Winter felt tears slide down her cheeks, but didn't move to wipe them away. Instead she simply walked over, and shut off the tv before walking to her bedroom, tears still streaming down her face.

Winter fell onto her bed, landing face first in the covers. She laid there for a second before she lost it completely. The whole days worst of stress, guilt, shame, anger, and all those other negative emotions simply busted her emotional dam down like it hadn't been there to begin with.

Winter curled into a ball on her bed, moaning her agony out as her tears stained her covers. Winter bit down on the blankets, tasting her tears, as she tried to keep herself at least somewhat quiet. She punched the bed as hard as she could before she started to head but it until she got dizzy. After that she started to kick it, flailing like a child in the middle of a tantrum. But what else was she supposed to do?

Time broke under her emotions. She could've been there for seconds, hours, or days, and she couldn't have told you which. Too quickly though her energy was gone, and she had devolved into a pile of tears, sweat, and sadness.

The sound of the city filled her room, mixing with her quiet whimpers and gasps for breath. It was a reassuring sound in some ways. It reminded her that there was a world outside that didn't care what she was going through. For some people that might've made their emotions worse, but not Winter. Winter simply found comfort in the fact that there was more out there, though she couldn't explain how.

It was in that mix of honking horns and cries that she decided that it was going to at least attempt to start to try and take some control. She rolled off of her destroyed bed and made her way back to the living room. The lights were off, but Winter knew where she was going. She felt with her feet until she found her phone on the floor.

When she had first come to Vale, there had only been two numbers saved on her phone. The first, obviously, had been Weiss. Now, it was finally time to call that second number.

**-Authors note-**

**So this seems like a pretty good time for another psa. If you or anyone else is dealing with physical abuse, please speak up. It's not ok. there are many anonymous help lines that you can call at any point if you or someone you know needs help. Now that that's done, I hope you guys liked this chapter! This is the end of what I'll refer to as the Halloween arc. There should be two more arcs before this story sees its conclusion, and I'm excited to get them written and posted for your consumption! Hope everyone has a great week!**


	40. Chapter 40

Snow had always looked so beautiful to Winter. Even when she was just a little girl, there was always something magical about the beautiful white flakes dancing in the sky. Whenever there was a snow storm, it never failed to captivate her full attention and make her feel like she was on another planet. So, it wasn't a huge surprise when she caught herself looking out at the snow, with Jaunes words flying right over her head.

"I'm sorry, Jaune, what was that? I had trouble hearing you" Winter told him, forcing herself to pay attention to the boy who was sitting in the opposite bean bag chair. It was odd thinking that he'd been coming to see her every week for months now.

He was her first real client, and if she was being honest, one of her favorites. Watching him grow and change had been one of her favorite parts of her job. She didn't just mean his attitude either. Jaune had recently started a bit of a growth spurt, and had grown a good inch or two taller since she'd first met him. He'd also started to gain a bit of weight, finally looking a bit less like a string bean.

"Oh, sorry- I mean, I'm not sorry. Right. I was saying that robotics had been so much fun! I met a lot of cool people and they're all showing me new equations, how to code, and a ton of other stuff! Every meeting is funner than the last!" Jaune gushed, almost bouncing in his chair. Instead the beans shifted under him, throwing him around. Over the past few months, the two of them had gotten used to the bean bag chairs, but they were still unpredictable to say the least.

"I'm glad to hear that, Jaune. You seem a lot happier lately" Winter pointed out. Jaunes face turned a little pink as he turned away, trying to hide his smile.

"You really think so? It's been really fun, but it's still a bit weird being around people who think like me, ya know? It feels like, well, almost like I don't deserve this" Jaune looked down at his lap for a second, before his eyes widened at what he was doing and he looked back up at Winter.

Jaune had been doing a great job of recognizing when he was being too shy or apologetic, and had been doing an amazing job correcting himself. It filled winter with a huge sense of pride. Because it wasn't like he was acting or anything. He was simply trying his best to be better, and the results were showing.

"Why do you feel like that?" Winter questioned, leaning forward, the beans shifting under her weight.

"I guess it just feels like it's all gonna disappear any moment. I find some people that I like, who like me, so I think I'm waiting for them to realize their mistake. To kick me out, and to make me go back to how it was before," Jaune got quiet. Winter could see how much he wanted to look away, how scared he was of what she might say. But somehow, his eyes never left hers.

"I'm sure it's a bit weird, but doesn't it feel good having people you can be yourself around, who understand what you're talking about, and like you for you?" Jaunes shoulders relaxed, and he gave a small smile.

"Yeah, I guess it does"

"Good. Then go with those feelings. You earned a spot on the team, you're trying your best to learn, you're making friends, and I think you're where you belong right now. I can't tell you it's always gonna be fun or that you're always gonna get along with everyone. But, I can tell you to enjoy it right now. To make friends and have fun. You like what you're doing right now, so don't let negative thoughts get in the way of that, ok?"

Sometimes Winter felt like her whole job was giving inspirational speeches to kids. It wasn't though. Most of her job was listening, and knowing when to give inspirational speeches. It felt a bit awkward at first, just telling kids stuff like that. Sometimes they listened, other times they didn't. Jaune was the type of kid to listen and learn from everyone though, and the smile on his face said as much.

"I think that sounds like a good plan" he chuckled softly, leaning back in his chair and looking out the window at the snowfall.

"I'm glad you agree. Oh, that's our time," Winter said, looking at the clock on the wall. She managed to stand up, mostly without difficulties, before holding out her hand for Jaune. The boy took it, letting her pull him up, "Same time next week?" Winter smiled, walking him to the door. Jaune was moving his hands a lot while he talked, taking them in and out of his pockets like he was nervous about something.

"Oh, I thought my mom emailed you. Since I've been doing so much better lately… we're gonna try and only meet once every month"

Crap. She knew that. Heck, she'd read the email again on her computer right before he'd come in. Winter gave a smile and shook her head, "I must've forgotten, my bad Jaune" Winter tried to laugh it off, but Jaune still seemed nervous about something.

"Winter, what if… What if I need you more than once a month? It feels like you're always there for me, I'm not sure what I'd do if I lost you" Jaune was looking at the floor now, but she could still see tears in his eyes. Winter kneeled down and put a hand on his shoulder.

"This is good for you Jaune, it means you're doing better, and that's great. Plus, if you ever need me, you know where I am. Night or day, all you have to do is give me a call and I'll be there for you. If we need to meet more often, then that's what we'll do, I'll keep your spot open for you" Winter tapped his chin with her finger, getting him to look at her.

Winter was smiling, trying her best to give off even half as much positive energy as Yang or Ruby did. It seemed to do the trick, because Jaune joined her, wiping his eyes on his sleeves.

"Alright, as long as you keep my spot open for me just in case" Jaune laughed, "See you next month, Winter. Oh, and have a great Christmas!" Jaune told her with a big smile on his face as he walked out the door and down the hall.

Winter stood in the hallway, watching him go. She usually opened the door for him and got to work on something else, but this felt different. Winter was fully aware that she was going to see Jaune again, that they'd still talk and see each other. But at the same time… She felt like he didn't really need her anymore. Sure, here and there he would probably ask her for advice or something, but that isn't the same. Watching him walk away, a little confidence in his step, it made her realize something. For the first time in her career, she'd helped someone get over their hurdles.

He wasn't a super confident macho man by any means, but that wasn't what he wanted to be. Jaune needed the confidence to speak his mind, stand his ground, and to be his own person. He might not be there yet, but he was well on his way. She'd given him the tools he would need to get there, and she was fully confident he would get there in no time at all.

When Jaune left the hallway Winter finally went back into her office and closed the door. Winter sighed as she paced around her office, her mind wandering for the thousandth time today. She checked her phone and noticed she'd gotten a text from Qrow, but she didn't look at it. Instead she dropped her phone on her desk and walked away. She ended up looking out the window, watching as a blanket of snow fell over the city.

In Atlas, snow was a pretty common thing to say the least. But it never lost its beauty for Winter. She pictured her and Weiss going outside and making snow angels, snow men, and anything else that started with the word snow.

A soft knock echoed through her small office, snapping her out of her memories, "Come in" Winter called, turning to look at the door. Jaune was supposed to be her last appointment for the day, or- was he? For some reason, Winter couldn't remember.

The door opened slowly, revealing the towering figure of Dr. Ironwood. He had a soft smile on his face alongside his stiff posture as he walked into her office. He took a seat on her couch, turning to look at her from across the room.

"How're you doing today, Winter?" he casually asked, his relaxed eyes on her like a hawk.

"Doing fine, I guess. Why do you ask?" Winter asked, resting her arms on the top of her chair. Dr. Ironwood wasn't the type of man to stroll into someone's office without purpose, something Winter had learned with time. It was best to simply ask him for his motives, otherwise it turned into a long talk. Winter usually liked those, but not today. Today, she had things to do.

"Right to the chase then? Fair enough I suppose. Winter, you've seemed a bit… Distracted the past few days. Has everything been ok?" Dr. Ironwood talked with an odd mix of authority and care. It was clear that he didn't want to push you and really did care, but also that there wasn't any other option than to talk.

"Distracted? What do you mean?" Winter asked, a little hurt by the accusation.

"First of all, you've shown up on time the past few days"

"And that's such a bad thing?" Winter questioned, trying not to sound too much like a brat.

"Normally, no. Heck, if Amy showed up on time every day I'd be over the moon. But you? On time for you is the same thing as Amy showing up an hour late" Dr. Ironwoods face was full of concern now, which made Winter feel even worse for how annoyed she felt, "It's not a bad thing if it's something you're trying for. But you run in every morning like a tornado looking like you don't even know where you are"

Winter stood quietly, watching her breathing and trying to calm her heart rate. She knew she shouldn't be getting frustrated, after all, he was right. But there's been something wrong with her lately. Everything seemed to get on her nerves that wasn't a kid.

"Then there's the fact that you also forgot to email me the files I asked you to" Winter felt her heart drop, instantly feeling a huge pit of worry form in her belly.

"I'm so sorry sir, I completely forgot! I'll get right on it!" Winter cried as she started her computer, pulling out her chair in a rush.

"Winter, stop for a second and think. Did I actually ask you to email me anything?"

"What- Of course you did, you just said so!" Winter babbled, her brain feeling a tad bit fried.

"No. I didn't. I never asked you to email me a thing. Normally, you'd know that without missing a beat. So, what's been on your mind?" He asked as he gestured over to Winters big leather chair she sits in for most of her meetings, "The fun thing about working with other psychologists, is that we can usually see when people are acting weird. That, and we get free visits" he chuckled lightly as Winter groaned, walking from behind her desk and plopping into the chair.

Dr. Ironwood smiled at her as she sat there, feeling confused and annoyed. Talking to Dr. Ironwood was never a bad thing, but lately things had been different for her. His smile made her more angry than anything, and made her want to keep her mouth shut just to spite him.

That was about the time when exhaustion hit her. It was something that happened now and again these days, she'd be fine and then? Boom. She could hardly stand on her feet. Maybe it had something to do with her comfy chair, but keeping her eyes open suddenly seemed like a challenge. Her defences were gone, and suddenly Dr. Ironwood seemed a lot easier to talk to.

"I've… Been having trouble sleeping lately" Winter said simply, all of the fight and pomp had left her voice behind, leaving only exhaustion and sadness.

"Any particular reason why?" He asked casually, like it wasn't a big deal she wasn't sleeping. Heck, maybe it wasn't to him?

Winter was about to give some half assed excuse, but then Winter remembered who it was she was talking to. What this man had done for her and how much she owed him. She owed him the truth, or as much of the truth as she could give.

"Nightmares. I've had them every night for weeks" Dr. Ironwood perked up after hearing this.

"And what happens in these nightmares?" He probed carefully. Winter leaned back in her chair, the nightmares were burned into her mind and probably would be forever.

"They're always the same. They start out with my sister and I playing, we're both kids. Then we break something, I never remember what though. That's when my dad comes in. He sees what we've done, and he gets mad… Really mad. He hits me first, and I can always feel it sting in my sleep, but it never wakes me up. I'm on the ground and I can't get up for some reason, like I've been tied down. Then, he, um" Winter hesitated, not sure if she could keep going. Dr. Ironwood sat there silently, waiting for her. She was glad he wasn't pressuring her, but it felt like she had to keep going now.

"Then he starts to choke Weiss. I try and get up to help her, but I'm stuck. She's trying to scream for help, but can't. She's struggling, and my father has this sick grin on his face and starts to laugh. Then, Weiss stops struggling, and I wake up" Winter finished, feeling like she was still in her nightmare.

Dr. Ironwood sat and looked at her for a while, not saying anything. It made Winter feel a bit uncomfortable, like she should say something else, but there wasn't really anything to say.

"Your father can't get you here, you know that. You said these were a recent development as well, right? So, did anything happen that might trigger this?" Dr. Ironwood asked, his eyes scanning her for a reaction.

This, naturally, brought Winter's mind back to Halloween. To the call she'd had with her sister, to realizing she'd missed her sister's call for the first time, to her telling Qrow no…

"My sister told me that my father had grabbed her. She said it wasn't bad, that he'd apologized, but I just can't shake the feeling that something isn't right. That I've failed her."

"Winter, you haven't failed her. Not at all. You're living your own life out here, and you can't always be there for her. As much as you try, sometimes you can't protect her from the world. Even if you were with her, that would be the case" Dr. Ironwood explained calmly, treating her gently like he would a piece of glass.

"Dr. Ironwood… I don't know. If I was there, she wouldn't be going through any of what she has been lately. The tutors, constant supervision, the stress? All of that was on me before father made me leave. Before I threw it all away and forced Weiss to take it on for me"

"Winter, you didn't force anything on Weiss, your father did. You can't take all the responsibility for something that he's doing. That doesn't seem fair, does it?" He remarked as he sat up straight, daring her to look away from his eyes. Sadly, she did.

Winter sat there, looking at the ground, not sure what to say anymore. His words made sense, but she still felt so responsible for it all. After all, wasn't she?

They say in silence for a minute before Dr. Ironwood spoke again, "You're taking the next two days off, right?" he questioned out of the blue. Winter looked at him, confused.

"Yeah, I did. Why?" Winter asked, her defences starting to come back up.

"Does that have anything to do with this?" He asked her, leaning towards her and resting his chin on his hand.

"I don't see what that has to do with anything" Winter scoffed, crossing her arms.

"All I meant was that I think it's a good thing you're taking time off. I just don't think you did it to get the rest you really need though" He replied, making Winter tense up.

"Again, I don't know why you're asking me this. I'm taking personal time off, and I don't need to give a reason" Winter countered, she could feel herself starting to get worked up again.

"I'm not asking why you're taking the time, those reasons are your own. All I'm asking you is to please, rest a little bit. Think about what I said here. And please, just don't do anything reckless" He told her before standing up and walking to the door.

"Oh, and you're going to the Christmas party, right?" He wondered as he opened the door.

"I don't know if I'll be done with everything by then. But maybe." Winter shrugged. Honestly she hadn't planned on going to the party, but she didn't wanna burst his bubble, but parties of any sort weren't exactly her thing.

"Come on, there's gonna be free food and drinks! It'll be a Christmas eve to remember! Plus, Amy's told me she's gonna be heartbroken if you aren't there" Dr. Ironwood grinned at her, knowing he had her trapped.

"I'll try, ok? That's the best I can do. I should be back by then, but I can't promise anything" Winter begrudgingly relented, making Dr. Ironwoods smile even bigger.

"That's all I can ask. And, Winter?"

"Yeah?" Winter questioned, sass in her voice. Though he didn't seem to notice or care.

"You can talk to me about anything, you know that, right?" he asked, his tone dead serious. Winter sighed, and couldn't help the small smile that came onto her lips.

"Yeah, I know. Thanks for listening" She said, feeling at least a little like her old self.

"Good. Then, whatever you're up to the next two days, I wish you luck" and like that he was gone, leaving her to think.

Winter stood up and walked back over to her window, and cast her gaze over the city yet again. Yes, she'd been stressed lately. She hadn't gotten a full night's rest since before Halloween. But that didn't matter. After almost two months of planning, it was finally time. If the next two days went smoothly, then she'll be grinning ear to ear for the next month.

**-Authors Note-**

**Ok, so I think I might've lied. I thought about it, and there's actually just gonna be one big arc left for this story, this one. After that there may be a chapter or two and then a small epilogue. So this is the last big arc for this story, which is sad but also really cool! It's been so awesome writing this for you guys and seeing it through is gonna be such a huge milestone! That being said, it's still gonna take awhile to get there! **

**Huge shout out to TheRedRoster for telling me to put character tags in the story. It helped a ton and increased readership a good bit, which was awesome! If anyone else has any suggestions, comments, or questions, please tell me, it's always appreciated! If you think I know it, chances are I don't!**

*****So I'm not sure why, but for the second time this thing has cut out the name . I think I fixed it, but honestly I'm not really sure. So if it doesn't get cleared up, thanks for putting up with it! Another shout out to the Shadow977 for pointing this out!**

**Anyway, hope you guys enjoy, see ya next week!**


	41. Chapter 41

Winter was slow to get her jacket on, enjoying the silence of her office and the mild peace it brought her mind. Her talk with Dr. Ironwood was fresh in her mind and had no intention of leaving, so she simply let it wash over her, filling her belly with feelings of anxiety and doubt. But that didn't deter her in the slightest.

After closing the door behind her, Winter started to walk down the silent hallway, the sound of her shoes hitting the carpet was muted, but still clear to anyone that listened. For example, Winter saw a certain plucky red head perk up at her desk at the sound before turning and smiling at Winter, "Heading home already? I'm shocked you aren't the last one out of the office again" Amy chuckled as she leaned back in her chair.

"Come on, I haven't stayed late that often" Winter protested with a small frown.

"Almost every day for the past few weeks, Win. I know I might be a little spacey… Ok, A lot spacey… I might have more space in my head than the sky, but I pay attention to my friends" Amy jabbered quickly, her hands moving wildly as she talked. Suddenly her movement stopped and she turned her full attention to Winter.

"What?" The white haired woman asked, confused at the sudden 180 while Amy looked at her with complete concentration.

"Are you feeling ok? You look pale" Amy questioned seriously.

"Amy, I'm always pale" Winter chuckled, but Amy shook her head. The next thing Winter knew Amy was pressing her forehead against hers. Silence was in the air as Amy had her eyes closed. Winter remembered her mother doing this exact thing to her on occasion.

"Of course you are, silly. But paler than usual, which is saying something" joked Amy dryly, "You don't have a fever or anything, so that's good" Amy sighed as she pulled away from Winter. If she could tell how shocked Winter was from the contact, she didn't say anything though. Instead she chose to look at Winter with concern and a tilted head.

"If you've had trouble sleeping or something, I know this great tea recipe that always knocks me out cold!" Amy grinned as she bent over her desk and started to write out the ingredients on a scrap piece of paper she pulled out of nowhere. Winter stood there, shocked at how easily Amy had realized something was wrong with her. It never ceased to amaze her how perceptive their receptionist is.

"Thanks, Amy, but I think I'll be ok after today" Winter explained as she rubbed the back of her head. Amy either wasn't listening or didn't care, because she kept writing away until nearly the whole paper was used up. Amy put down her pen and looked it over for a sec before nodding to herself and handing it over to Winter.

"Now, it might look a little complicated, but it's not that bad. The main thing is, the honey _has_ to be warm before you add in the milk. Otherwise you're gonna get weird dreams. Like, the last time I didn't do it right I dreamed I was a raccoon who could fly! It was a fun dream at least" Amy giggled as Winter put it in her pocket, not even looking at it, but appreciating it nonetheless. "By the way, you're going to the party, right? It's gonna be such a fun time!" Amy chirped, stars in her eyes.

"Well, I've got a lot of stuff planned for the next two days, but I think I should be done in time for the party" Winter admitted, the girl's excitement getting the better of her. Amy raised her hand, trying, and failing miserably, at trying to hide the huge and mischievous grin that had sprouted on her face.

"That's right, you're going on your first vacation, how could I forget! Going on a romantic trip with your bae?" Amy winked at Winter, causing Winter to explode in a blush. It didn't last though, as memories of Halloween came back, crushing the embarrassment out of her. Sadly it didn't get rid of the confusion about what the heck a 'bae' was. Winter had a guess, but she didn't want to ask, who knows how deep that rabbit hole would go?

"Amy, you know Qrow and I aren't like that. Besides, I haven't really talked to him much lately" Winter sighed, suddenly feeling a lot less energetic than she had been. Amy lowered her hand away from her face, and while the grin was gone, there was still a small, genuine smile on her face.

"I know, I know. I keep telling you to go for it anyway, but you'll never listen. It just… It sucks. Seeing you this sad, I mean. You and James are always helping other people, but here you are all broken up over him? That just doesn't seem fair I guess" Amy mumbled, sad smile still on her face.

"I'm fine, Amy. Not getting with a boy isn't the end of the world," _It just hurts_, Winter thought, making sure she shut her mouth before those words flew out with the rest of them. Amy still seemed to hear them though, as the concern in her face grew.

"No matter what happens with boys, you still got me" Amy said sweetly as she reached out and took Winters hands, bringing an honest smile to Winters face for the first time in far too long, "Plus, you'll still have booze. Which is whhhy, you should go to the party! Open bar! You, me, and a couple margaritas before making friends with the floor!" Amy grinned as she pulled Winter in close and wrapped her arm around Winters shoulder, "What do ya say?" Amy questioned, trying her best to sound suave. The thought of drinking made her stomach a bit uneasy, but then again, she was a bit more experienced now…

"Last time I drank I hardly got one drink down before I felt like everything was spinning. But that does sound nice" Winter admitted, which made Amy woop as she threw her hands in the air in victory. She also succeeded in making Winter bust out laughing.

"I can't make any promises though, I really do have a lot to do!" Winter got out, but Amy just twirled around with a smile plastered on her face.

"We're gonna have so much fun!" Amy said as she came to a halt in front of Winter with her arms out wide like she was going in for a hug.

"If I can go," Chuckled Winter.

"If you can go, obviously! Come on, Win, that's totally what I meant! If you can go," Amy's smile fell for a sec before coming right back up as she tried to contain her joy. Winters eyes moved to the clock and she was surprised at how long they'd been talking for.

"Alright, I need to get going, Amy. I'll see you soon, OK?" Winter smiled as she started to walk towards the elevator. She'd hardly made it two steps before she felt something hit her from behind, and she found it hard to move. Winter looked down and found Amy's arms wrapped around her.

"Try and get some rest, ok? And try that tea, it works, I swear" Amy told her, voice straight and caring, but obviously wanting to say more. Winter couldn't help but smile again. Amy really did care about her, and that comfort meant more than she could describe.

"I will, I promise. Thanks, Amy… Really" Winter told her softly as she managed to wiggle around in the girls arms so they were facing so she could give the girl a proper hug.

Before long, Winter pulled away and walked to the elevator, pressing the button. Amy stood close by as the elevator opened, filled to the brim with corporate people in suits, all talking on their phones. Business as usual. Amy stood there watching her go with a smile and a wave as the elevator door started to slide closed. Winter made sure to return the smile and wave before they shut all the way, and the noise of everyone's talking filled her ears.

It wasn't overwhelming or anything, if anything it was more comforting this way. People discussing future business, apologizing to spouses for being late, and people just having normal conversations all melded together into simple, distracting, noise. And distractions were good right now.  
Winter pulled out her phone, seeing she had a new message from Qrow, but nothing else. Without another word, Winter slid the phone back into her jacket pocket, her heart beating fast. She listened to the noise to calm her nerves, and it helped, if only a little.

Winter started to think about what she should eat when the elevators opened in the lobby. Everyone shuffled out in one large hoard before dispersing like dust in a hurricane, leaving Winter standing by herself in the large room. Well, not really by herself, the room was still crowded, despite the end of the workday already coming and going. She didn't stay long, leaving the building for the snow filled sidewalks and frigid winds.

Winter walked out of the building to find the wind calm and the snow mostly plowed away. It was still cold though, at least to everyone else. Everyone around her was at least three layers deep in clothing, with hats, gloves, and scarves of every color dotted around the crowd. Winter on the other hand only had a simple white jacket on. Sure, it was kind of thick, but two layers for most people seemed crazy. She also wasn't wearing a hat or gloves, instead opting to keep her hands in her pockets as she walked down the street to the parking garage her car was at.

"Ya know, some people say your body heat escapes through the top of your head if you don't wear a hat" Said a deep voice from behind her. He wasn't talking loud, but hearing it made her flinch non the less. She just hoped he hadn't noticed.

"Well those people should know that's a myth… I asked my doctor when I was a kid about it and he laughed" Winter admitted as Qrow walked closer to her, a small smile on his face.

"That sounds about right," Chuckled Qrow, "Don't tell the girls though, the only reason they actually bundle up in the cold is because of that myth" Qrow told her softly. She knew he was joking, but something about his voice seemed off. Like something was missing. Winter gulped as he got closer, "Could I walk you to your car? We need to talk, and it's a little cold to stand out here without moving" Qrow wondered. All Winter could do was nod in response, she really didn't know what to say.

The silence between on the way to her car felt like stale bread, hard and crackly, with neither of them really wanting to touch it first. Qrow coughed, before he bit the bullet and spoke up.

"I tried to text you. Not sure if you saw them or not, but I asked if we could meet up somewhere. You never got back to me so I figured, hey, it's not that far to her work" Qrow shrugged nonchalantly. He was lying, obviously. It was a pretty decent drive to her work from his house and the shop.

"No, my phone died a bit ago," Winter lied, feeling a pang of guilt in her chest. Yeah, she'd seen the messages, but she hadn't even thought about looking at them, let alone responding, "What did you wanna talk about?"

"It was game night the other day, and Yang picked some card game, and somehow I managed to win. But… they asked about you. They really missed you" he looked over at her, but Winters eyes were looking down at the snow.

Qrow was waiting for her to talk, heck, he might not have been sure if she'd even heard him. She had. God, she wished she hadn't though.

"I told you, I had to stay late at work and I didn't want you guys staying up for me. There's nothing to ask about" Winter tried to defend herself weakly.

"Yeah, that's what I told them. They begged me to call you anyway, to tell you to come over as late as you wanted. You never picked up" Qrow was talking calmly, but his words were cutting into her like daggers. The two of them walked into the parking garage where her car was, standing just inside of the structure and out of the snow.

"I- I must've missed them. Sorry" apologized Winter as she looked away, making sure Qrow couldn't see the tears at the edges of her eyes. When she turned back, he'd tensed up.

"Ya know, you could just say you don't want to come, Winter. You don't have to lie about being busy or missing calls. Just say you don't want to go" Qrow spat, annoyance emanating from his voice.

"It's not that I don't wanna go! I just… I've been a bit distracted lately is all" Winter shot back, her frustration bubbling to the surface, but just for a moment.

"Distracted? Winter, I know we haven't talked much lately, but the girls need you. They can tell something isn't right, and they don't know what's going on. Especially Ruby, she tells you everything on Halloween and then a few months later this? You're the last person I expected to forget how this would make her feel! She thinks it's her fault you've been distant for christ's sake!"

Qrow was breathing heavily and his fists were clenched tight in his gloves. Winter had never seen him snap like that. Get annoyed? Sure, every other minute, but never like this. He took a few deep breaths, trying to calm down his beating heart.

"Look, I'm not sure if you've been distant because of what I did on Halloween or what. If that's the case, then I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that. But still, you were right about those girls needing you" Qrow looked at her with regret, sadness, but there was still a small spec of that anger there. She couldn't really blame him though, he was right, "If you want them to come to your office or something from now on, I can probably talk them into it. That or you could meet them somewhere, or hell, I could even leave the house for you. If me being there is an issue, then I won't be there. Just… they need your help"

Winter silently stood there, wanting to disappear into nothingness. Whether or not he was trying to, he had cut her to ribbons with his words. She knew that the girls would be sad she wasn't there, but she didn't think they would take it so personally. Maybe she's been a lot more distracted than she originally thought, because he was right, she should have known how they'd feel. Hell, it was her job to know that.

She knew that she should've gone to game night, should be there to support the girls. After all, that's one of the main reasons she said no to Qrow. But looking up at Qrows face, looking into his eyes, she remembered why she couldn't bring herself to go.

She had gone to a few game nights after Halloween, and they had been fun. She'd had nice talks to Yang, Maria, and Ruby. Talking to the girls about their parents and pasts, getting them to open up little by little. It was nice. But every time she looked at Qrow, it felt like she was getting punched in the stomach with firsts made of pure guilt.

His eyes lacked their usual flame and passion, his jokes were a lot more forced, and his smiles seemed fake at best when they were directed at her. He was hurting, and she knew that it was her fault. She didn't know what to say to make it better, or if there was anything she could even say.

The worst part was that the feelings she'd had for him on Halloween, that she'd had for who knows how long now, were still there. She'd locked them in a cage and melted down the key, but they thrashed and slammed on the cage every time she saw him. Even now, with him angry at her, they still cried for release, begging her to go up to him and apologize, to kiss him, to ask for forgiveness… but she couldn't do it.

Maybe it was childish, mean, and self centered, but she couldn't see him. She didn't want to hurt him any more than she had, and she didn't want to hurt herself anymore either. It was hard constantly holding that door shut after all. She wanted to help the girls, to talk to them, but it was too painful with Qrow. But even then, she still wanted him there with her. It felt like her emotions were throwing her around in a washing machine and she was starting to get whiplash.

"Qrow, I… I don't know. You're right, I haven't been there when I've needed to be, and I'm sorry. Maybe it would be best if I just met with the girls, but I need to think about it. Honestly, I've been a little out of it lately, but I should be better soon. I wish I could give you and answer now, but I really have to go. I'm not just saying that to get out of talking, either, I promise. I have something to go to. but I'll text you" Winter had the urge to hug him, but she stopped herself before her body could try it. Qrows cold eyes gazed into her soul, and apparently found something, but she didn't know what.

"Alright then," Qrow told her, sounding somewhat annoyed, but understanding. His eyes suddenly grew wide and he looked away before talking again, "The girls would've killed me if I'd forgotten. They wanted me to invite you over for Christmas day. We weren't planning on doing much, but they thought you might wanna come by for when they opened presents. They said don't worry about getting anything for them, they just want you there. If you don't wanna go, or can't make it or whatever, that's fine. Just tell me. They'll understand" His voice was a lot calmer now and he almost sounded embarrassed to ask her.

"I'm going out of town for a few days, but I might be back in time… I'll let you know" Winter told him, but she really didn't know. Qrow could see the hesitation in her eyes, only nodding in response. He didn't even say goodbye as he turned and walked back into the snow.

Winter felt empty as he left. Not for the first time, she wanted to curl up on the floor and cry or to run after him. But just like those other times, she had to grit her teeth and fight to hold her tears in.

With trembling fingers she pulled out her phone as she started walking to her car. Her eyes grew wide as she looked down and saw a new text. She opened her phone and it said: _We're all set_. Winter took a long, deep breath as two tears slid down her cheeks, but a small smile grew on her lips.

Winter slid her phone back in her pocket as she fished out her keys and unlocked her car. Winter made sure to double check that her suitcase was in the back seat along with a small wrapped box before she started her car. She was glad that she'd packed her bags the night before and loaded them into her car that morning, definitely saved her some time.

A small part of her wondered if she should get directions on her phone, but she decided against it, she remembered the way. Winter put her car in drive, and left the parking garage starting down the road at a nice slow speed. Winter was nervous, but excited. Because just like that, without a word to anyone, Winter was on her way to somewhere she never thought she'd ever go again. Home.


	42. Chapter 42

It was a little bit surreal leaving the city for the first time since her arrival all those months ago. Sure, she'd sort of left it to visit Qrow and the girls tons of times, but this was her actually going far away for once. Winter couldn't help but look out the window, almost wistfully, as she watched the snow covered city disappear behind her. There was a mild ache in her heart, but she ignored it, driving on.

Winter may have lived in Atlas for most of her life, but she wasn't nearly as attached to it as she was the city. Her father had always been overbearing, going so far as to give all of the drivers a pre-approved list of places they were allowed to take her. Only the fanciest and pompous places made the cut, which left her with very few opportunities to intimately explore Atlas.

It was always school (which eventually became private tutor), expensive restaurants, the manor, and visits to her father's company if she was 'lucky'. Her mother had tried to give her a bit of freedom, but her father's ever watchful gaze kept that to a minimum. Heck, even after she got her car, she had to use that damn list. Atlas was where she was born, Schnee manor was where she had lived, but they weren't home. Honestly, there were only ever two things Winter really cared for in Atlas. The first was Weiss, obviously, while the second… Well, that was her mother.

Winter turned off the main highway and onto an older road that not many people used. It took a little bit longer than the main highway, but the lack of traffic actually made it a bit quicker, or at least that's what everyone online said. She wasn't sure why nobody used it, and no one else seemed to know either. Maybe it was haunted? That would be a pretty good reason not to use a perfectly good road. "I've been spending way too much time with those girls, because that's totally something they'd say" Winter chuckled to herself as she soared down the road.

Winter took her eyes off the road for a second, and was mesmerized by the fields of white snow that were all around her. A clean sheet of white stretched into the distance, untouched except for the occasional animal track. It was a simple image, but captivating nonetheless.

Her eyes looked to the horizon as she slowed the car down on impulse. She wasn't sure why she was stopping, but it felt right for some reason. The car came to a smooth stop, in the middle of the ocean of snow, there was a beach of snow covered grass separating the road from where the larger snowbanks that was probably grass when it was warm.

Winter sat in her car, an odd feeling of anxiety in her chest as she took in her surroundings. Then, it dawned on her. She wasn't sure if this was the exact spot, everything for a few miles looked exactly the same after all, but Winter had a feeling she was right across the road from where she'd broken down on the way to the city.

She remembered the feelings of anger, terror, and helplessness that had consumed her after that engine had died on her. Terrified that her one shot at independence had blown up in her face before she'd even made it to the city. Her only hope was for someone to come save her, but who would have guessed that her wish would come true?

She'd been asleep at the time, but it was easy for her to picture that red pick up truck pulling over. She was positive that the girls had probably climbed over each other trying to be the first one out, trying to get a good look at the stranger sleeping in the middle of the road.

She had no clue the first time she'd seen those girls how big of a role they would play in her life. She'd simply thought they'd help her out, then be gone like the tide. But no, that wasn't the way fate wanted things to go for some reason. Actually, maybe it hadn't been fate. After all, Qrow was the one who has asked for her help. Asked for her number.

He'd been so interesting that day. She'd seen him cry that day, even if it was just one tear. She could only guess at how relieved he must've felt. Finding a therapist sleeping on the side of the road, and his nieces actually seemed to like her, plus she was willing to help? That would be a pretty life changing deal for anyone.

Winter felt guilt rise up inside of her again as she pictured the girls at game night, asking where she was. Waiting up for her. How sad they must've felt. An image of Qrows angry eyes popped into her head, taking her breath away. Suddenly, Winter wasn't feeling nostalgic anymore. She lifted her foot off the break, leaving behind the place she'd once been stranded.

From this point on, Winter hardly remembered the road. She'd been so focused on not getting lost, that her eyes were constantly looking at the map on her phone. On the bright side, she hadn't missed anything interesting the first time around. Well, unless you counted abandoned barns as interesting. Which, sadly, Winter didn't.

But a few miles down the road, that changed. In the blink of an eye, the farmland was gone, replaced by beautiful, snow draped trees on all sides. They were tall and lush, but weren't cramped together like most forests. It was easy to imagine walking around them on a warm, summer day, the canopy of leaves giving just the right amount of shade.

There was one odd thing about the place though. Between the trees, were large bumps of snow. They were tall, easily three or four feet in the air, and they were all over the place. Then it hit her. That wasn't snow, those were headstones.

There were also all different types of headstones checkered throughout the entire area, but they weren't cramped together like some graveyard. It was definitely a relaxing place, and a pretty graveyard. She wondered if anyone still used it, or if it was just some farmers family plot. Then, as quickly as it came, it was gone, leaving Winter back on a boring road by herself.

The fun thing about driving by yourself for hours at a time is that your mind tends to wander. The bad part though, is that your mind starts to wander. Her mind was like a ship, sailing from port to port, her directions dictated by the winds.

The first thing she sailed to was her crappy, tilted, apartment building. She still hated looking at it, but the more time she spent there the less she really cared. She just wished one day she could put apples on her counter without them rolling all over the place. The winds changed then, taking her from apples to ice cream and Vale Sweets. Then she imagined the woman who owned the ice cream parlor and who obviously cared for Ruby and Yang, Glynda.

Her mind went like that for a long time, bouncing here and there, mostly about her time in Vale. In the past six months she'd met so many kind people, a lot more than she'd ever thought possible. Never before in her life had she met so many colorful people so quickly. Most of her acquaintances from Atlas were rich snobs who talked business or cowered in fear over her family name. None of them dared to dip even a toe in the pool of interesting that everyone in Vale seemed to love. The only ones who were different were the same two people she actually cared about, her mother and Weiss.

Her mother was so fun, loving, and warm, nothing like the other people she was around growing up. She would always do fun little things, like how she would sometimes make homemade grilled cheese. She would kick the chef out of the kitchen and try her best while the chef sat back and looked like he was having a heart attack. She would always burn it to a crisp, but Winter would always smile and eat it. Not because it was good, God no, but because she loved that her mom put in the effort and love. Even after she got sick, she would still make them as much as she could. Winter wouldn't mind one of those right now.

Winters stomach suddenly growled like a starving animal, and she felt her cheeks heat up, glad nobody was there to hear it. Winter looked around her, and it was like she'd been broken out of a trance. It was almost sunset, and Winter realized she'd been driving for hours. It also suddenly dawned on her, she was already in Atlas. The mountain range that took up the northern horizon was large, menacing, and heartbreakingly beautiful.

The second clue she had was that her last name was appearing a lot more frequently. As in, she couldn't drive a mile down the road without seeing it plastered on something. Gas stations, buses, businesses, and even on a few peoples shirts. It made her sick, just like always. Ah, it was good to be back… Not really.

It was the final stretch of her drive, and for some reason it was also the most exhausting. It was already dark, and it was like the lack of sun was draining her of strength. Her eyes were heavy, her legs were stiff, but she persisted. Her father might even be proud of her, pushing past exhaustion and hunger, that's the Schnee way. Or at least that's what he says it is.

A small plane was flying low in the sky, circling a small airfield that was on the outskirts of town. It flew lower and lower, before finally landing on one of the few runways that were available and coming to a stop.

Winter watched the plane land, but didn't think too much of it. Planes came in and out of here so often that she'd gotten used to it years ago. After all, this is where her father kept most of the private planes. It was just a long stretch of runway with a hanger to house most of the private planes. The whole space was locked up tight inside of a large chain link fence that was topped with razor wire, with lights hanging off the edge of the fence every fifteen feet or so. He 'shared' it with a few of his wealthy business partners because else would he flaunt his armada of planes and make his partners green with envy?

Winter pulled up to a large, fenced gate. Luckily there weren't any guards here, only in the actual hanger. With a quick code she had memorized, the gate was open and she was in. Winter drove around the lights, trying her best to stay in the darkest parks of the grounds. Winter made her way to the far edge, far away from prying eyes and cameras. She stopped her car right outside of a light's reach, so she and her bug were shrouded in darkness.

The moment she shut her car off, it was like a spell had broken. All of the energy and gumption that had kept her going suddenly vanished, replaced by exhaustion and anxiety. Winter went limp in her seat, relaxing her legs, back, and arms, for the first time in hours. Her muscles cramped, and stung whenever she moved, but she bit her lip and managed to pull out her phone.

There were a few texts from Amy asking if she was ok, which Winter was grateful for, but all she could think to send was a thumbs up emoji. She was early, but only by a few minutes. For whatever reason, the thought of sitting still in her car for even another second made her feel sick. So she opened her car door a crack, before kicking it open the rest of the way.

She stood on wobbly legs and stretched, her back cracking like some kind of demonic symphony. She walked around the car, staying in the shadows. Her legs got tired fast, so she decided to take a seat on the hood of her car. The smell of oil and the heat of the engine were radiating off her car, and it was honestly a bit comforting. The heat felt good on her aching legs, while the oil- well, that reminded her of… Things. Or people. Doesn't matter.

Her foot was moving a million miles a minute as it bounced on her bumper, while her thumbs spun circles around each other. She was keeping her breathing slow and even, but it didn't seem to be helping at all. Her eyes were darting around the runway, and her ears were open for the sound of anything other than wind.

She had no idea how long she sat like that, hyper aware of the world. Then, two small lights appeared in the distance. Winter felt her heartbeat almost stop while the rest of her body did.. She tracked the lights every movement as they danced around the dim airway, mostly sticking to the edges. The lights grew larger by the second, coming closer and closer to her. Some part of her was waiting for a guard to yell at her to leave, or for a cop to come and arrest her, but that didn't happen.

Instead, a long, white limo drove slowly into the light that Winter was parked by. It looked like something out of a movie, the perfect white paint under a spotlight, snowflakes dancing in the wind like sparkles. It was a beautiful car, and reminded Winter of a noble white steed that a princess would ride on in fairy tales. Honestly, that wasn't far off from the truth.

The limo sat there for a few seconds, its engine running quietly, like the car was afraid to break the silence. Winter sat stiffly on her car, not sure what to do next. She slid off the hood and stood there, about to take a step when the back door opened, and Winter's world stopped.

If the limo was a mighty steed, then she was without a doubt the princess. She had piercing blue eyes and silky snow white hair that went half way down her back. She had the grace and confidence of someone much older and more experienced, but she wore it proudly.

She'd grown taller since Winter had last seen her, but she was still a complete shrimp. She was also a little thinner, but that was probably from the growth spurt, the same thing had happened to Winter. That was still her baby sister though, no matter what had changed about her.

"Klein, you know that the planes are over there, right? We're gonna be late" Weiss' voice was soft and confused, but it also had the same confidence in it that her appearance held. Maybe it was her imagination, but Winter thought that her sister looked… Older. Well, obviously she looked older, it had been months since they'd seen each other. But maybe mature was the right word? Winter honestly wasn't sure.

The driver's door opened and a short, balding man stepped out. He wore a black vest over a white dress shirt with a blue tie. He still had some dark orange hair on the sides of his head, but most of it was currently occupied under his nose in a large, bushy mustache. "I'm sure it's around her somewhere, miss" said Kleins cheery voice. Winter had been talking with him on the phone and texting him for weeks now, but it was still heartwarming to hear his voice in person.

"Klein, I'm not sure if there's a joke I'm missing or what" Weiss said as she turned to face Klein. The butler's eyes were looking around the darkness, before they landed on Winter's shape. She had no idea how he managed to see her, but she wasn't shocked at all.

"Ah, there it is" he smiled, as he nodded to Winter. Weiss turned back to Winters direction, but hadn't found what Klein was looking at.

"What do you mean? There's nothing here" Weiss grumbled as she squinted, trying to find something in the darkness. Winter gulped as she stepped forward, finally entering the light. Weiss blinked a few times, clearly not sure what she was seeing at first. Winter stood silently in the light, a small, nervous smile on her face.

Weiss' shoulders slumped as her jaw opened, finally realizing who exactly was in front of her, "Hey, kid," Was all Winter could think to say. Winter could see her sister's bottom lip tremble and her eyes fill with tears as she stood there in shock, unable to get out more than a squeak and a whimper out of her throat.

"W-W- Win-ter?" Weiss managed to say, taking a small step forward towards her big sister. Winter couldn't stop herself. She ran as fast as she could, covering the distance between them like lightning. Before Weiss knew what had hit her, she was wrapped tightly in her big sisters arms. After a quick moment of shock, Weiss wrapped her arms around her sister.

Winter was gripping her sister like nothing else in the world mattered. Right then, nothing else did matter. The warmth flowing between them, the soft sobs that were coming from both of them, that was everything. The world could have blown into a million pieces, and they wouldn't have cared in the slightest.

Winter heard the soft whimpers and moans as her sister started to cry, and Winter went ahead and joined her. They comforted each other while tears flooded both of their faces, but that was ok.

Their father had told them countless times that Schnees weren't huggers. He'd gone on and on about how they used words to express themselves, and how inefficient hugs were. That didn't stop them when they were kids, or their mother for that matter. and it sure as hell wasn't stopping them from enjoying this now. Because when you go months and months without seeing your best friend in the whole world, the one person in the world that always has your back, sometimes it's ok to break down in a crying heap together and enjoy a long hug and a cry. Because God, it felt so good right now.

**-Authors note-**

**So, a bit of a short, slow chapter this week. I hope you guys are liking this arc, I know it's a bit sad, but it gets better, I promise! Please tell me any comments, questions and such you guys have, I always appreciate it! hope to see you guys next week!**


	43. Chapter 43

Winter ran her fingers up and down her sisters back with her right hand while her left was busy playing with her sisters hair. It was almost like she was playing an instrument, with Weiss' sobs and moans getting quieter and louder when she moved just right. Winter wasn't much better, her tears and snot rad down her face and she wasn't exactly being quiet.

Winter felt bad for Klein, having to stand there and watch two girls hug and cry for who knows how long. But Winter wasn't embarrassed, not at all. After someone watches you cry practically since the day you're born, you stop caring. Scratch that, she was pretty sure he'd seen her cry the day she was born too.

Weiss pulled away slowly, but kept her arms wrapped around her sister. "Win, what are you doing here? You're supposed to be in the city" She sniffled, trying her best to keep Winter's jacket clean.

"You didn't think I was gonna leave you alone for Christmas, did you?" Winter smiled at her sister, ruffling her hair. Wiess laughed and pushed her hand away, like she always did, but then looked at Winter, confused. Then a smile broke out on her face, and she wrapped her sister in another tight hug.

"So you're coming with us? That's amazing! We're gonna have such a great time at the conference! I was excited when Klein brought it up with Father, but this is even better!" Weiss gushed, her excitement was electric and adorable. It was the type of thing that Winter had missed so dearly about her sister. If only Winter didn't have to end it so quickly.

"Weiss, I'm sorry, but-" Winter started, but Klein cut her off by coughing into his hand, drawing the attention of both of the sisters to him.

"I hate to interrupt Ms. Weiss, but that was actually a small fib on my part. I knew you wouldn't have agreed to leave your studies without good reason, certainly not for anything like a vacation. Plus, your father would only let you leave for something of importance. So, a fake business conference where you could learn and make connections for your father was the obvious solution" The more Klein talked, the more confused Weiss looked.

"Wait, so the conference you've been telling my father and I about for weeks…"

"Completely fictional. All it took was a fake website here and a fake phone number there and he was convinced. It was all me. I am truly sorry for lying to you, Ms. Weiss, but it was needed" Klein bowed his head in apology.

"It wasn't just Klein. It was my idea" Winter admitted, catching her sister even further off guard. She appreciated what Klein was trying to do, but she wasn't gonna let him take the blame. Weiss pulled away from her sister and took a step back, looking lost.

"I'm confused, what exactly is going on?" Weiss questioned, annoyance starting to seep into her voice. Winter sighed and rubbed the back of her head. The aches and pains of her body and the exhaustion of her drive were taking their toll on her, and all she wanted to do was to find a hotel and pass out. But she owed Weiss an explanation.

"Well, I know how hard father was with me when I was going through tutoring, it was brutal. I thought that it might be wearing you out, but I know you'd never admit it. So, I called Klein. We talked about it, and thought you needed a break. So I came up with the idea for the conference. The plan was for him to convince father to let you go and for him to take you here, then for me to come and pick you up. Then, I'd take you back to Vale with me for a while. You'd be able to relax, explore the city, have a little fun for Christmas, then I'd get you back here" Winter had a small smile on her face as she explained.

It was a pretty good plan if she was being honest. She only felt right taking two days off work, but Weiss could stay with her for longer than that! Winter could take her sister to her Christmas party and introduce her to Amy and Dr. Ironwood, she could meet Earl, and maybe, if they'd still have her, she could even meet Qrow and the girls. Have a big, happy Christmas together…

Weiss was looking between her and Klein, an odd look on her face. Winter was waiting for Weiss to jump back into her arms, excited to see the city and to finally get some alone time with her sister. Instead, Weiss balled her hands into tight fists and her eyes filled with anger.

"God, this is so like you, Winter! You always try to be the hero, even if someone doesn't wanna be saved!" Weiss fumed. Winter blinked, not sure if what she was hearing was real or not.

"Weiss, I-"

"No, just stop for a second and listen! Look, I appreciate it, but I can take care of myself. I'm not getting worked too hard and I'm not some princess locked in a tower that needs you to come and get her! You have your own life, so why can't you just mind your own business and let me live mine!" Weiss was panting now, and Winter could see how she was holding back even more words.

Winter's mouth was dry after hearing what Weiss had to say. She was shocked and confused, not sure what to do or say. Thankfully, Klein had something to say.

"Ms. Weiss, I believe you're being a bit too hard on Ms. Winter. She was only thinking about what was best for you. And honestly, I think you've been working too hard as well. I've been watching your sleepless nights studying, how feverishly you've been trying to get through school. When was the last time you've taken a day off? Or taken some time to sing or play piano?" Klein asked softly, his rational voice reaching her, at least a little.

"Klein… You two are unbelievable. I'm glad I got to see you Winter, but I can't go with you. I have school work to do, piano to practice, and some extra projects father gave me to work on" Weiss admitted as her eyes avoided Winters like the plague.

"Weiss, please, just for a few days? It's been so long since we've been together, I think it would do us both a little good" Winter lied. Weiss was doing fine without her, as much as it hurt to admit. Honestly, Weiss was probably even smarter and stronger than she was, could probably handle the tutoring easily. If it wasn't for their mother, Winter wasn't sure if she would have survived. But here Weiss was, by herself, thriving. Winter on the other hand, wasn't.

She felt weak and vulnerable by herself, and she didn't like it. It was an oddly sobering feeling, knowing that you needed someone more than they needed you. Her life in Vale had been chaotic at best lately, and the idea of having Weiss, her rock, there for any bit of time… was comforting. She was sick of being by herself, and would gladly beg her sister to come with her if she thought it would work.

Weiss looked sheepish as she finally met her sister's eyes, there was sadness and guilt in them as she spoke. "Win, I want to, but I can't. I can't fall behind on my studies or father won't be happy" Something about the way Weiss was talking about him, the man who was keeping them apart, with such reverence… It lit a fuse in Winter, and something in her exploded.

"Stop giving a damn about what that old jerk thinks, Weiss! You're just the heir to his stupid company! He doesn't care about you, he just wants to use you like he used me! Then, one day, when you figure out what you really wanna do, he's gonna shut it down and throw you out just like he did with me!" Winter screamed, letting out all of the bitterness and rage she'd been keeping inside for so long now. She was so loud it wouldn't have shocked her if Amy had heard her in Vale.

Weiss was looking at her like she'd just been slapped. She had fear on her face and tears in her eyes. Kleins eyes were wide, not sure if it was really Winter who'd just said that. Winter took a deep breath, her throat was raw and in pain, but that was nothing compared to how Weiss was looking at her.

"Weiss, I- I didn't mean that. It was just-" Winter wanted to tell her that there was a good reason for her outburst, but everything she thought about saying sounded like excuses. Weiss stood there, biting her lip forcing her tears at bay. Winter felt like she'd just destroyed her whole world, and it wasn't anyone else's fault but her own.

"What he did wasn't right, Win, I know that. But he's our father, and I love him. I know he loves us, even if he doesn't know how to show it, just like mom told us. I'm sure if we give him time, he'll come around, then you can come home" Weiss explained as she grabbed the hem of her shirt tightly, her eyes open wide at the ground, like she was forcing them open. Winter wasn't sure if her sister believed that last part, but it was clear that she still cared for their father.

Some part of Winter felt betrayed. It was like her sister was picking their father over her, which stung like a knife in the back… But Winter knew that wasn't true. This isn't some competition where somebody won or lost. Weiss loved their father, and she had every right to. But that led Winter to a question she'd never thought of, and had never even considered before. Did she love her father?

"Klein, I think we should be leaving. I'm supposed to start my homework soon" Weiss suggested, looking just as uncomfortable as she sounded. Winter had no idea if what her sister said was true or if she was just saying it to get away. Either way, she wanted to leave, and Winter couldn't blame her.

"It is getting rather late. Ms. Winter, I think it would be a good idea if you were to accompany us to the manor for the night. Can't have you drive too far after you've come all this way" Klein looked at her with a warm smile, trying his best to help the two of them, just like always.

"Thank you, Klein, but I don't think father would forgive even you if you let me back in the house" Winter chuckled lightly with no humor in her voice.

"That shouldn't be an issue. Sir Jacques is out of the country on business, and won't be back until late tomorrow. In addition, most of the staff is gone as well. The only ones there, well, they know how to keep a secret" He winked at her, bringing a spark of warmth back to her chest.

Winter looked at Weiss, waiting for her to say something or to outright tell her no. Instead choosing to keep silent and to keep looking away.

"Alright then, I guess it couldn't hurt" Winter relented, Klein lit up, flashing her a brilliant smile.

"Excellent! Then we'll be on our way immediately. I'm sure you still know the way, so we'll see you there" He chirped, opening up his door and finding his seat. Winter wanted to invite Weiss to come and drive with her, but right now it felt best to let her go back with Klein.

Weiss looked up at Winter for a second as well, their eyes meeting. Weiss opened her mouth to say something, but stopped herself. Instead she climbed back into the limo with Klein, and the two of them drove off into the night.

Winter felt shell shocked. She had been so confident that everything would be ok once she got here. All she had to do was see her baby sister again, to have her in her arms, and everything would be better. So how did everything go so wrong so quickly?

She sighed, as she climbed back into her bug. Winters bones creaked and groaned as she buckled herself in the car, exhaustion almost totally taking over. But, just like always, she fought through it as she started her car and made her way after the limo.

Klein wasn't wrong assuming she knew the way back to the manor from here, honestly she could probably make the drive blind folded at this point. Lets just say that her father loved to travel, and loved to drag Winter along with him more often than not. Winter enjoyed traveling, but when you're gone more than you're home, it sort of loses its splendor after a while.

The way to the manor was simple, two rights, a left, go down a few miles, make a left at the large oak tree that she snuck out to climb when she was a kid, and you're there! But now that she was older, and since she'd been gone for so long, she was noticing something that she forgot. Atlas was beautiful.

The trees were huge with snow sprinkled on them like frosting, with long crystal clear icicles hanging off everything. There were plenty of streetlights, making everything they illuminated look like something out of Santa's workshop.

In the distance was a city where her father often did work, and she used to hate looking at it. It brought up images of his boring company and warehouses. Now though, it looked a lot like her city in Vale, and brought a feeling of nostalgia that Winter hadn't been expecting. Winter put down her window despite the cold and let the gentle scent of pine enter her car, and it made her muscles relax just a bit.

Winter felt the building before she saw it. It was a feeling of anxiety and dread in her very core and made the hair on the back of her neck stand on edge. Even knowing it was coming, she wasn't ready for the monster of a building that was Schnee manor.

To say her old home was massive was an understatement to end all understatements. It could probably fit the whole population of the city down the road and still have an empty few floors. It was at six floors high and spread out over a massive 80,000 square feet. They could have made it even bigger, smashed the world record to pieces, but her father thought it wasn't worth the cost of getting into a size war with the current number one. So, they stopped at the biggest home on the continent.

The whole thing was glistening marble white with accents of black for contrast. Oh, and column. Lots and lots of columns. Her father was insistent that columns be used as much as possible, and the architect obliged.

On the property they had tennis courts, a horse stable, a massive garage for her fathers cars (even though he never drove himself anywhere), massive gardens that her mother insisted she grow herself, and in the way back of the estate… the family cemetery.

Winter gripped the steering wheel tight as she drove up to the massive iron gate. On each half of the gate was a large and intricate S, that Winter swore looked like a snake to her right now.

Klein and Weiss were right ahead of her in the white limo, typing in the gate code. Assuming they hadn't changed it, Winter could still recall the numbers flawlessly: 10242015. It was something her mother had insisted on, though she never explained why.

The gates opened quickly, the snakes letting her pass. The limo moved forward without hesitation, but Winter took her time. She drove past the guard box, and saw that there was the normal security guy there. He smiled as she passed, nodding to her with a grin which she sheepishly returned.

The driveway was long and straight, with the manor growing larger by the second and looming over her like some kind of God. Winter never got why people were so intimidated when they would come over and visit her father. They always stuttered and trembled when they got out of their cars, and often they were pretty sweaty too. Like many other things, Winter understood a lot better now.

Klein parked the limo and hurried out to open Weiss' door as well. Weiss hurried out of the limo, quickly walking into the manor leaving both Klein and her in the dust. Winter stopped her car and got out, grabbing her small backpack of clothes out of the back seat.

"Well that didn't exactly go as planned, did it?" Winter sighed as she swung her back pack on her shoulder. Klein pulled Weiss' suitcase out of the back seat with a grunt, but set it on the ground softly.

"No, I suppose it didn't. But you know your sister, always the unpredictable one" Klein chuckled, "By the way Ms, when I gave you that phone all those months ago, I somewhat expected you to call me for help because your car broke down on the way to the city. I'm glad nothing happened though" Klein smiled while Winter took her turn to laugh. She decided to save some shred of her pride and not tell him that her bug had died and she'd tried calling him for a whole day.

"Yeah, would've sucked if something dumb like that had happened" Winter laughed, looking away from Klein. As her laughter stopped, she noticed that Klein was looking at her closely. "What? Do I have something on my face?" Winter wondered, wiping her face. She hadn't eaten anything all day, but you could never be too sure.

"No, nothing of the sort. You look tired, Ms. Winter. Exhausted, actually. You're also pale. Skinnier too. When was the last time you've eaten?" Winter felt her cheeks flush crimson. Maybe Amy wasn't as crazy as she thought?

"It's been a tough few weeks, Klein. By the way, now that I've been disowned, I think you can drop the whole Ms thing now" Winter joked, already knowing his answer.

"Please, I've been calling you that since the day you were born. I don't think I could stop even if i wanted to" He grinned at her. His face softened for a second, "Ms, one more thing"

"Yeah, Klein?" Winter asked, not knowing what he was gonna say.

"It's… It's very good to see you again" He sniffled, wiping an unshed tear from his eye. Winter couldn't help but smile at him. Ok, she was wrong earlier, maybe there was one more person she cared about in Atlas other than her mother and sister. Winter took a step forward and wrapped the short man in her arms, holding him tight. Winter was scared to go into the manor for sure. But at least when she went through those doors, the man who raised her would be right by her side.

**-Authors Note-**

**First off, ten points to the first person who can comment what exactly the gate code is from. Hint, its related to rwby. Well, I've been waiting to write this chapter for awhile, and I think it turned out pretty good! I hope you guys are enjoying where the story is going, because I'm excited to share it with you guy. Please post any comments, questions, or anything, its all appreciated and read! See you guys next week!**


	44. Chapter 44

Winter felt a shiver roll down her spine as she walked into the manor, legs trembling with every step she took. She reached out and took Kleins gentle hand, holding onto it like a lifeline as anxiety started to take hold of her. The entrance was about what you expect, massive. It had a huge crystal chandelier hanging high in the air and a marble staircase heading straight for the second floor. Usually there would be staff standing at attention when a Schnee walks in, waiting for orders. But right now it was just her, Klein, and her sisters dust.

Winkers nose wrinkled ever so slightly as she took her first breath in this home in months. It wasn't that the room smelled bad, but the air smelled way too clean. Like the staff had used so much wood polish and disinfectant that the floorboards had absorbed it, destroying the smell of anything other than lemon scented disinfectant.

"Miss, you must be absolutely famished. Would you like me to make you something? I'm not as good as the chef, as you should know, but something is better than nothing in most cases" Klein said as he gently set Weiss' suitcase down, trying his best to not scuff up the hardwood floor.

Winter let out an uneven breath and slowly let go of Kleins hand. Winter couldn't help but notice how shaky her hands were without his support, so she shoved them into her pockets hoping Klein wouldn't notice.

"After my crappy attempts at cooking, something made by you sounds like heaven" Winter told him, a nervous chuckle escaping her lips. Klein looked at her with sparkling eyes, like she'd told him he'd won the lottery or something.

"In that case, I'll do my absolute best, miss! I'll call for you when it's done! But would you mind taking this up to miss Weiss' room? Normally I would be glad to, but time is of the essence"

"Of course, Klein. I think I can find my way… Probably" Winter joked as she reached over and picked up the suitcase. Klein gave her a small bow before heading off to the kitchen in a rush, leaving her alone with the deafening silence of the manor.

Winter started to hum to herself as she set off towards her sister's room. Humming was something she'd done since she was a little girl, it was a good way to feel a little less alone in these huge, empty halls.

Winter was mostly joking with Klein, she'd grown up in the manor after all and could probably find her way in it blindfolded. But that definitely wasn't always the case. There were more than a few times she would get lost wandering around the halls for hours trying to find her way back.

Ah, those were fun days, lost in the mazes of rooms and halls. True, every few rooms had a wall phone for emergencies, but half the fun of getting lost in the manor was trying to find your way out. The other half was looking for secret passages and rooms.

Winter had found no less than sixteen hidden rooms, twenty-four hidden passages, and twenty-six other random hidden secrets in the house, a total of sixty-six secrets. Some of them were shortcuts to main rooms, others led to nowhere, and a few even had hidden safes that held who knows what! Probably some shady stuff, but who knew?

She'd filled a lot of her time as a kid finding them, and had kept every one documented in a journal she kept hidden. Actually, she kept it hidden in a secret compartment in her room, which was the first one she'd ever found at the young age of six.

It was lost on her as a kid, but it was honestly crazy how extravagant the whole manor was. There wasn't an inch anywhere on the premises that didn't have some decoration, a splash of exotic paint, or some random piece of art that cost more than most people would make in ten years. The whole place reminded her of a dessert that was so sickeningly sweet even Ruby wouldn't eat it.

Winter found herself standing outside of a white door that was decorated with light blue dolphins, Weiss' room. She knew that only one door over was her own room, decorated with light blue birds. The two of them had painted the doors with their mother years ago. The animals still looked incredible years later, and gave Winter a small sliver of peace.

Winter grabbed the door handle and was about to push it open, but she stopped herself at the last second. When Winter had lived here, the two of them never knocked. They always barged into each others rooms whenever. Weiss would always come in while Winter was doing homework, distracting her sister in the best ways possible, bringing some life into her dull room.

Sometimes, when she was little, Weiss would sneak into her room while Winter was asleep and climb into bed with her. Winter knew what she was doing and never complained, it didn't hurt that her sister was a great heater. It was something she'd done a bit after their mother had died too. Even together, those nights were hard.

After letting go of the handle, Winter raised her hand and knocked lightly. Winter stood there awkwardly, shifting her weight from one foot to the other as the silence stretched on. Winter knocked a little louder, but still nothing.

"Weiss, I'm here to drop off your suitcase" Winter called, but the girl didn't answer, "I know you're mad, but could you at least talk to me? Please?" Winter couldn't help herself as she pushed open the door and took a step inside.

Winter flicked on the lights and saw that the room was pretty much exactly how she remembered it. The room was large, with a walk-in closet in one corner that was filled with brand new clothes and shoes, a perfectly made bed sat in one corner, a desk under one of the windows, and… Well, that was it really. No decorations, television, or even any pictures. It was all painted a flat white with nothing really special about it. With how big the room was, all of the empty space screamed out to be noticed.

Winter walked over to the bed and fell onto it, the springs creaking ever so slightly as she did. The bed was firm, just how Weiss liked it, but it felt cold. The bed smelled like detergent, without a hint of her sister's shampoo anywhere. It was as if the bed was brand new or something. Winter sat up in a huff. It all felt so stagnant that it made her skin crawl. It was like the walls of the room were looking down on her for being there, for putting some life into this dead space. She couldn't stand being in there any longer. So she left the suitcase behind and shut the door behind her softly.

Weiss' room hadn't always felt that way, had it? Winter remembered little touches of her sister here and there a few months ago, bringing some life to the room. Winter sighed and scratched her head. She wondered if her room was as empty as Weiss'. She'd tried to give it some personality when she was here, but maybe she hadn't.

The more she thought about it, the more she realized that her room in the city was pretty much the same as Weiss'. A bed and clothes, but not much else. She slept there, but she never really tried to make it her own. Maybe she should?

Winter walked down the hallway and opened her door without hesitating. Why should she knock for her own room after all? She knew what to expect, a bed like Weiss' in the corner, a well used desk, closet half full of clothes she didn't have time to pack, maybe a few things here or there she forgot, but nothing special. Boy was she wrong.

Inside her room was the picture of life. Most of the lights were off, but on her desk there was a lamp that was still on, illuminating papers covering almost every square inch of it, all of them meticulously organized. There was also a small laptop pushed into the corner of the desk that had tons of stickers from random bands all over it, but none of them overlapped. This stuff sure as heck wasn't hers, and that warmed her heart.

The walls were the same white as Weiss', but new shelves had been hung up and were covered end to end in books. Most of them were text books, but scattered her and there were mystery, fiction, and some sci-fi. Winter guessed that Klein or one of his friends had done this small favor for her sister, and she was grateful.

Something that Winter had never expected was a huge poster hanging over the bed. Winter recognized the poster, probably from a cd cover she had years ago. She couldn't place the name, but Winter was positive she knew their music intimately.

Winter jumped onto her bed and instantly felt at ease. It was made just as Weiss', but it felt more lived in. The bed was warm, soft, and she could make out the smell of her sister's lilac shampoo in the pillows clear as day. She looked around the room and felt a sense of pride in her sister. She hadn't been bowing to everything their father had been commanding, she was being rebellious in her own ways.

Winter stood up off the bed, ridding it of any wrinkles before she moved on, her sister would probably kill her otherwise. She walked into the closet and found that Weiss had added a few pieces of her own clothing, making Winter smile for some reason.

She walked over to the back of the room, going to the corner of the room besides a shoe rack. She pushed a section of the wall in, and it popped out without any effort. The hole in the wall wasn't big, about as big as a textbook, and lined with some felt, just like a pool wasn't much of a secret, but it was enough to push a young Winter to explore the whole house. For the record, no other closet in the house had something like this. She checked.

Inside of the hole was a small, lined paper notebook that had a question mark drawn onto it, her book of secrets. It was filled end to end with everything she knew about the house. A part of her had hoped her sister would've stumbled across it by now, but Weiss didn't seem interested in games like that anymore. Still, a book of hidden stuff might come in handy for Weiss now,

Winter grabbed the book and flipped it open, and what was inside made her heart stop beating. It had been years since she'd needed to look in this book, so she had no idea when she'd put it in there, but inside was a picture of her, Weiss, and their mother.

It was a simple picture, Winter looked like she was about fifteen and Weiss looked like she was five or so. Their mother, Willow, looked like an angel. She wasn't sick yet, and she still had her strength. She was tall, elegant, full of life, with a huge smile on her face as she wrapped her arms around her two daughters. They were in a field of grass, but she forgets where they were exactly. Her father had taken the picture, and she remembered him grumbling about it the whole time. Winter wiped a tear from her eye as she took the picture and put in in her backpack along with the book.

Winter closed the compartment, and left the closet. She was about to leave when something caught her eye on the desk.

She walked over and saw a ripped up piece of paper in a frame. The paper had been taped up as best as it could be, but it was still obvious that someone meant to destroy it. It was the paper that had started all of this mess, her masters degree in child psychology. The paper that let her work as a therapist with Dr. Ironwood. Last she'd seen of it, her father had ripped it to shreds in front of her, telling her how she'd stolen thousands from him and how she was getting shipped off to a real college to get a real degree in the morning.

Winter put her hand up to her face and could feel the sting of his slap, and she flinched like it was more than just a memory. Winter didn't feel anything as she looked at the paper, no pride, no hate, nothing. But looking at the tape, the frame, the care that had gone into repairing it… That brought even more tears of joy to her eyes.

It was one thing for her sister to say it was ok to do what you wanted, to live your life. But something about her picking up those pieces, trying to fix it. Winter knew her sister was proud of her, that she loved her, that she wanted her to live her own life. Because if she didn't those pieces would probably be in the trash right about now. Winter turned around and left with a smile on her face and warmth in her heart.

Winter made her way down to the kitchens, finding Klein hard at work. He was so focused he didn't even notice her. The whole kitchen smelled like cooking pork, fresh baked bread, and roasting peppers. Winter felt her stomach grumble and felt herself blush when Klein turned to face her.

"Miss Winter, what a pleasant surprise! I was about to call you, dinner will be ready shortly! I'm glad you're hungry" Klein informed her with a smile as he checked whatever was in the oven.

"I was hoping you'd miss that" Winter sighed as she put a hand up to her cheeks and felt the heat. "Should I call Weiss?" Winter asked with trepidation as she leaned on a wall, watching Klein work. "I'm afraid not. Miss Weiss has already eaten tonight and doesn't eat much to begin with" He sighed as he turned off the stove. Winter nodded, noticing how somber he sounded.

"Go take a seat while I plate, miss. I'm excited to show you how my skills have grown in the past few months!" Klein beamed as he waved his hands at her, shooing her out of the room. Winter couldn't help but chuckle at how excited he was for her to eat his food.

Klein wasn't a bad cook, not at all. His only real problem in the kitchen is that he tends to go a little… Overboard. Say you like salty food and he covers it in salt. Is something too burnt? Next time he undercooks it. Say you're hungry, and well… Let's say you'll be full pretty soon.

Winter felt her stomach rumble even louder, and she felt her mouth water as she stepped into the dining room. The room consisted mainly of a long, dark oak table, that could hold at least eight people. Now, this wasn't to be confused with the room they used when guests were over, that could hold up to twenty people.

The table looked empty now, just like it had the past few years. It was tolerable with four people there, but three was just too few for a table this big. Winter and Weiss always sat besides each other, trying to make it seem a little smaller. But their father always sat at the head of the table, as far away from them as he could.

Winter sat down at the corner of the table, and tried her best no to imagine Weiss and her father sitting here in awkward silence every night. Maybe that was why she hadn't been eating much?

Her train of thought was interrupted by Klein busting through the kitchen doors, his hands filled to the brim with food. The smell would've knocked Winter off her feet if she'd been standing. There was pork chops, fresh biscuits, soup, salad, and even some pasta for good measure. He set all of it down in front of her neatly and softly before he set down a plate and all of the proper utensils. She had no clue how he managed to carry it all, but she couldn't care less right now, her stomach was going crazy to think about stuff like that.

"Here you are Miss. Please enjoy" Bowed Klein, as he turned and walked away.

"Actually, Klein, I had another request" Winter hesitated, but she wanted to ask.

"How can I help?" He asked with a smile as he turned around.

"Would you mind sitting with me? I know father always said you weren't allowed, but it would just be really lonely if-" babbled Winter, but before she even finished her sentence, he'd pulled out a chair and was taking a seat next to her.

"Anything for you, Miss" He nodded, crossing one of his legs over the other neatly with a smile. "Don't wait on me, dig in" He joked, motioning to the forgotten food.

Winter liked to think of herself as a lady, born and raised to be the epitome of class. But the second she got a taste of Klein's food, years of etiquette and training was out the window. She tore into the pork, and drowned herself in the soup while she munched on bread. She was a beast, and that was pretty ok.

Klein asked her questions about her life in the city, and she was happy to answer between mouthfuls of food. She told him about work, Amy, Earl, how the lights sparkled at night and how the city sang her lullabies every night with the sound of cars. She even told him a little bit about the girls, but not enough to breach confidentiality or anything. Then, he asked a question she never thought he'd ask.

"Meet any boys?"

Winter's face exploded in heat as she took a bite out of her bread, "Klein! Doesn't that seem a bit too personal?" it was a flimsy defence at best and they both knew it, but Winter had to at least try to preserve her humility.

"It's a simple question. You live in a big city, see tons of eligible men every day, surely one must've caught your eye by now?" She could swear there was a sparkle of amusement in his eyes as he watched her struggle to form words.

"I mean, sort of, but not really. Well, I guess, but… Ugh, Klein, I don't think I'm cut out for dating" Winter muttered in despair as she leaned back in her chair.

"I do believe I speak for everyone who's ever dated when I say, you aren't the only one who's felt that after a first romance" Klein chuckled as he patted her arm comfortingly. "Tell me why you don't think you're cut out for dating"

"I just… I can't really do it right now. He's someone really close to one of my patients, and it's not exactly ethical if I pursue it, right? I don't wanna lose my job, I don't wanna hurt him, and I don't wanna hurt my patients. But at the same time, it hurts every time I think about him I can feel my heart skip a beat… I'm not sure what to do" Winter sighed as she put her hands over her eyes, trying her best not to lose it. Klein sat in silence as he watched her, a sad smile on his face that only someone with a lot of wisdom could have.

"I wish I could tell you what would be best, but truthfully, I'm not really sure. I'm not smart enough to figure out a solution that fixes everything. But what I do know is that sometimes, risks are worth it. I don't know if this is one of those times, but you're a heck of a lot smarter than I am. I know you'll figure out what's best. You always do" Winter lowered her hands from her tear filled eyes and couldn't help but grin like a dumb kid.

"You know, I've been crying way too damn much in this house for how little I've been in here" Winter laughed as she wiped her eyes on her sleeves. "I'm not sure if I'll figure out what the best thing to do is, but I guess I should come to a real decision, shouldn't I?"

"That seems like a good first step, miss. I think you're well on your way" He smiled as he patted her on the arm again.

Winter stood up, her belly more than full for the first time in a long time, "Thanks again for the food, Klein. I've really missed your cooking. But I think it's time Weiss and I talk"

Klein blushed a little at the compliment, and turned away from her for a moment as he rubbed his eyes dry. Winter couldn't help but chuckle at the sweet man.

"I think that would be wise as well, miss. I believe she should be in her room studying by now" Klein told her, standing up alongside her.

"No, I think I know where she's at. Goodnight, Klein, I'll see you in the morning" Winter nodded, genuinely thankful,

"Of course, Miss. I'll have breakfast ready for you when you wake up. I know I've already said it, but it truly has been great to see you again" Winter pulled him into one more quick hug before she started to walk down the huge halls of the manor again. She made the first left, heading straight for the north stairs.

**-Authors note-**

**Ten points to Behnbailey for being the first to get it! Yeah, it was the vol 3 premier! But five points to the guest who got it, and one point to TigerNinja16 and Combine117 for participating! Sorry if I missed anyone who guessed! But I hope everyone's enjoying this part of the story, seeing Winters home. I hope I'm getting everything across clearly and it doesn't feel too bloated. If anyone has any questions or wants me to clear anything up, just post a comment, I read them all. Hope you guys have a good week!**


	45. Chapter 45

Winter walked quickly through the halls, knowing the way after years and years of practice. She passed the music room, her father's main office, the library, and about a thousand other rooms before she finally made it to the north stairs. Compared to the rest of the manor, this place was pretty tame, it was a simple room with stairs leading up the right side of the room heading up to the top floor of the manor, a lot like her apartment building actually, the only difference was the size. And the gold finish. Since the stairs were on the right side of the room, that meant the bottom left half of the room was left empty, which looked a bit too perfect to not hide something fun.

Winter had discovered this little secret after a few months of exploring the house. The side of the stairs was painted white, with intricate blue snow drawn on it. Winter had been studying the snow, looking for, well, something. Maybe a map hidden in the snow? But one day when she noticed a few of the snowflakes had a thin line going through them. Out of curiosity, she pushed on the wall, and a segment of the wall popped open.

Hidden under the stairs was a small room, maybe eight feet by eight feet, with a slanted ceiling as the stairs went up and clean white walls. Winter knew it was probably meant for storage, but Winter saw it as something she was in desperate need of, a getaway. She smuggled a big comfy couch, a small table, and came here whenever she wanted to be alone. She mostly used the room for naps and to escape her tutor, Mrs. Norris when the woman was cranky. But then her mother had given her a special gift on her seventh birthday, her cd player.

That led Winter on a wild ride of exploration, listening to as much as she could get her hands on. She got a little obsessed if she was being honest, begging Klein and her Mom to buy her any Cd's they could.

As Weiss got older though, she needed the room less and less. Eventually she was only using it to mess with Weiss when they played hide and seek. Winter was proud to say that she went undefeated. Now, here she was, staring at the snowflake covered door, her hand hovering over it, ready to push. But it didn't feel right to barge in, this place wasn't her safe haven anymore.

Winter knocked lightly, her hands dropping to her sides as she waited. A second later, the door popped open a little. Winter took a deep breath in and took the invitation.

The room had definitely changed since she'd been gone. The walls were still white, but now they were covered by perfectly aligned band posters. Some were artsy and full of color, others were dark and a little scary, and a few were straight up weird. Winter remembered the stickers on her sisters laptop, always at a ninety degree angle and never overlapping.

Her old couch and table were still here, but there was also a shelf that was filled with Cd's. It was exactly like the shelves in her old room, but instead of books, it was Cd's. Winter had left a good few in here if she remembered correctly, but not even half of what was here now.

Weiss was laying down on the couch, CD player on her chest and headphones over her ears, eyes looking up at the ceiling with an annoyed and distant expression on her face. Winter looked at the table and saw a cd case that had a cool cartoon aesthetic. Tons of characters dotted the landscape of the cd, and there was a huge explosion in the middle of a crowd that led up to the band's name.

"This is one of mine," realized Winter, smiling fondly as she picked it up. Weiss looked over at her and shrugged, before looking back at the ceiling. Winter wasn't sure if her sister had heard her over the music, but she was glad for some form of recognition.

"It was one of my favorites. I listened to it whenever Mrs. Norris yelled at me. I'd get so mad, but they always helped" Winter explained as she set it back where she found it. She turned her attention to the shelf of music, pulling out random Cd's, checking out the art, the song names, and the title of the album before putting them back in their proper place.

"Oh, Deathshakers? Never heard of these guys, but their art is super cool. I like the, um, skull cup. Chalice? Whatever" Winter chuckled as she put the case back where she found it.

It felt like the more Cd's Winter looked at, the better she was able to look into her sisters head. There was rock, metal, and even stuff like country, jazz, and even some funk. It was like her sister had her own little music store in here.

"Do you know the Dancing Monkeys?" Weiss mumbled, her head facing the ceiling but her eyes glancing over to her sister every few seconds, her fingers tapping to some rhythm. Winter looked at the shelf, glad her sister had alphabetized them all, and found the band pretty quickly.

Winter pulled out the album, feeling like she was checking something out from a library. "Oh yeah, I used to love these guys! They're kind of punky, but a lot of their stuff has some good messages behind it. Do you like them?" Winter wondered as she returned the music to its home.

Weiss nodded, finally turning to look at her sister, "Klein got their CD for me a few weeks ago. I've listened to them a lot… Maybe too much" Weiss had a small smile on her lips before she forced it away, returning to her sour expression.

"Klein got you this? Huh, aren't you a little young for this type of music?" Winter asked teasingly, making Weiss blush.

"It's not that mature. They might swear every now and then, but it's not that bad" Weiss sat up, pulling her headphones off.

"Yeah, that's true. I guess I shouldn't judge, I put a lot of stuff in this collection that is a lot worse. Have you listened to Edge Canyon yet?"

Weiss looked away and blushed a bright red, turning away, "A little. It was a bit too… Explicit for me"

Winter laughed, walking over and pushing her sisters legs onto the ground so she could take a seat on the couch. "Yeah, I made it halfway into song three before I had to shut it off. I still get embarrassed over what they sang about. I mean, what even is a pearl-"

"Ew, don't say it!" Weiss fussed, smacking her sister's arm lightly, trying to get her to shut up. But her weak hits only made Winter laugh harder.

"I don't wanna say it, but it's too weird not to!" Winter countered through her giggles as Weiss tried her hardest to push the girl off the couch.

"If it's too weird, then don't say it!" Weiss laughed, her pushes getting softer and softer.

"But it demands to be said!" Winter beamed as she started to tilt away from Weiss, before crashing right back into her sister and laying on top of her.

"Win, you're way too heavy! You're gonna break my ribs or something!" Weiss complained, trying to wiggle out from under her sister.

"Good thing we've got money, or that might be an issue" Winter winked as she stretched her arms over her head and got comfy on her new human shaped pillow. She didn't notice the evil glint in her sister's eyes as she reached out and started to tickle the unsuspecting psychologist.

Winters eyes exploded open as her sister's fingers dug into her ribs, "Weiss, no, please!" Winter begged between gasps of air, trying to cover her vulnerable sides with her arms. Winter pulled away, but Weiss stuck close by, not giving her sister any room to recover.

"Sorry, what was that? You're laughing too loudly, Win" Weiss chuckled, keeping the onslaught going until Winter rolled off the couch, landing hard on the floor in a heap of smiles and laughter.

Weiss looked down at her older sister with a look of satisfaction and victory, her hands on her hips and a grin on her lips "Had enough?"

"Yes, you win! I've had enough. God I wish you were ticklish, you freakin' jerk" Winter gasped, a huge smile on her face as bits of laughter kept escaping. Winter crawled back onto the couch, her breath ragged as she sat down, her arms covering her sides in case her sister got any funny ideas.

Winter tried her best to get her breath back, "I like what you did with the place by the way. Not just here, but my room too" Winter approved, leaning her head against the back of the couch.

"You saw?" Weiss questioned, her face blushing as she looked away, "Sorry, I know I should've asked, but I didn't think you'd mind. Father doesn't allow anyone in there, so it's a good place to be a bit more free, ya know? If you're mad I can change it back though" Weiss explained, a small stutter in her voice as she talked.

Winter shook her head, "Like I said, I like what you did with it. It definitely feels a lot more alive than when I lived there. I'm glad you're being a little rebellious too, it's good for teens to act out a little here and there"

Weiss smiled, but there was still a tenseness in her shoulders that Winter couldn't help notice. Her hands played with the hem of her shirt as the young girl got the courage to speak, "I don't do everything he asks. I'm not brainwashed or anything either. He's our father, and sometimes I have to listen to him, and other times I don't" Weiss explained, her eyes on the floor.

"I know. You're too smart for something simple like brainwashing" Winter said, "But you know what he's like. When you find out what you wanna do, he won't have any of it. He'll make you be the heir no matter what, you know that"

Weiss suddenly turned to her sister, the determination in her eyes taking Winter off guard, "Do you remember the day Mom told you about her plan?"

Winter remembered that day clear as crystal. It was a warm sunny day, a rare day in Atlas, and her mother had taken her for a walk into the nearby woods. She was sixteen and was about to get her high school diploma. She couldn't really say she was about to graduate, because she'd never really gone to high school.

At the time, her next few years were already set in stone. She'd go to a local, but extremely high class, university and get a masters in business as soon as possible so she could be a proper heir to her father's company. It wasn't something she wanted to do, but she accepted it nonetheless. What else could she do after all?

Then, her mother took her on that walk. Her mom had taken her far away from everyone, even Weiss. Winter was never tense around her mom, but she felt like something was up. "_Winter, what would you study if I didn't want to do business? If you didn't wanna work for your father?"_ Mom asked her with a gentle smile as smelled a beautiful flower.

Winter had thought about it before, but she'd never said it to anyone really, and she'd never really thought about the specifics, "_Something I could help people with. I wanna talk to people and help them feel better. Maybe something with kids?"_ Winter replied honestly, not sure how to phrase it.

"_Do you want to go to college for that then?" _She'd asked the question so simply, like she was asking about the weather. Not, you know, throwing everything she'd ever known about her life out the window.

Winter thought about it for a second, scared at what it all might mean, at what their father would do if he found out. But then, for the first time, she stopped caring about him and what he wanted. _She_ wanted this, and that's what matters, "_Yes, lets do it!"_ Winter beamed, making her mother laugh at her excitement.

"_It's gonna be a lot of work, but if you don't wanna work for your father, we can do it. But we gotta keep it a secret"_ She smiled, looking like a ray of pure light and beauty.

Mom explained her plan after that, and it was surprisingly straightforward. Essentially, the law says that a student has a right to privacy of their school records, and not even a hyper rich business man can get the info. So, they hired someone to make a fake report card for her whenever her father asked to see her grades. If he ever wanted to speak to her teachers, which was never, they would ask one of Moms friends who was a business prof at the school to do it.

After that Winter was supposed to leave and get a job on her own, claiming it was to get some experience before working with her father. Then she'd be far enough away, out of his sphere of influence, and financially independent so she wouldn't need him anymore. The whole time he was supposed to think she was his heir while Weiss did her own thing and left too. He'd eventually find out, but it was supposed to be after the sisters were already on their own and away from him. If only that plan had worked.

That was it. They were lying and making a fake report card, but only for her father and not to help in school or anything. It was a simple plan, but it worked, at least for awhile. She met a lot of people who accused her of buying her way through classes, but she worked harder than anyone else she knew at that school and she worked her butt off to get her degrees and earned every academic accolade she got.

Winter realized she'd been staring off into space for a little bit too long, so she shook her head, snapping herself out of her memories, "Of course, why?" Winter asked, confused.

"Well, after she talked to you, she talked to me. She told me that if something went wrong then he'd want me to be his next heir. She kind of hit the nail on the head" Weiss chuckled softly, "But she told me that she had a way so I wouldn't have to if I didn't want to, a way for me to get out of being his heir, even if the plan went bad" Winters eyes lit up at this.

"Really? What was it?" Winter was almost foaming at the mouth for the answer to their problem.

"That's the thing, Win, I didn't want it. I wanted to be his heir. I've always wanted to own a business, to watch it grow, and what better business is there than his? Ever since I was a little girl I wanted to run a business, whether it was his or my own. So when mom told me you didn't want it, I was relieved. This way, we both got what we wanted" Weiss explained, and Winter felt her mouth go dry.

Her sister wasn't lying, she wasn't being coerced, and she wasn't trying to convince Winter of some lie. This was real. Winter could tell from the fire in her eyes and the passion in her voice.

"For- for how long did you say you wanted this?" Winter faltered, her voice quiet and shaken.

"Since I was a kid. It's always sounded so fulfilling to me, not to mention fun and chaotic. I know father's cold, but some of the stories about deals he's done, bets he's made, how he built all of this, it's incredible" praised Weiss, trying her best to express how insane it all was.

"You never told me…" Winter whispered, hardly loud enough for Weiss to hear.

"Because you've always hated the idea of working for father, and I always… Well, I always thought you'd get mad at me if I told you that's what I wanted to do! I mean, he hasn't been the best, but I'd never turn out like that, and I didn't want you to…'' Weiss' voice slowed to a crawl when she looked over and saw tears falling down her sister's face like a thunderstorm.

"Winter, I-" But Winter leaned forward and pulled her sister into a hug so tight that she could hardly breath, cutting her off.

"I'm sorry I didn't know, so, so sorry. I could never be mad at you, no matter what! It doesn't matter what you want to do! I should have shown that, or told you, or something! God, what kind of an older sister am I?" Winter was crying uncontrollably at this point, her face buried in her sisters silky hair.

Weiss managed to free her arms and wrap them around her sister, fingers running up and down her back just like Winter had done for her earlier. "Hey, it's ok. I should've told you sooner, there's no way you could've known. By the way, you're a great older sister, I've always thought that. Plus, when I saw how hard you were working to do what you wanted, it only pushed me to work harder too. You're living your own life, doing what you love. I'm here, learning how to do what I love from someone who's really good at it. I think we're both doing pretty ok, dork" Weiss whispered, trying her best to copy Winters comforting voice.

Winter clutched at her sister, a torrent of confusing emotions inside of her. She felt angry at herself for not knowing her sister as well as she should've, guilty for making Weiss think she couldn't share this part of herself with Winter, and then a whole lot of other stuff that was really messing with her mind.

It helped that Weiss was there, holding her, sharing some of her strength. That strength was like a lighthouse, guiding Winter home through her storm, no matter how long it took. Winter loosened her grip, but Weiss pulled her in closer, wrapping her arms around the older sisters side while she dried her tears.

"God, this is like the tenth time I've cried since I've been here. Is something wrong with me?" Winter chuckled while another tear danced down her cheek.

"Nope, nothing's wrong. But maybe the house is cursed? Or, maybe you've had a long day" Weiss shrugged with a smile as she leaned her head on Winter's shoulder.

"Let's go with cursed, that sounds a lot cooler" Winter said with a hint of a laugh as she leaned on her sisters head, just like she always used to.

"Agreed" Weiss closed her eyes and got silent, really enjoying her sister's company for the first time tonight. A soft silence wrapped around them, both of them content to sit there and relax with each other.

"You know, you could still come stay with me for a bit. Father still thinks you're at that conference. If you want, you could even… You could come and live with me. We could find a business school for you in the Vale, say you live on campus while you stay with me. Father might even get excited about it" Winter pondered it all, thinking about what schools were in the area. It was a big enough city that she was positive there was something. But she already knew what her sister was about to say.

"I want to. That sounds nice, peaceful, and like I could learn a lot. But right now, I need to stay here. This is the best place to learn everything I need. I'd love to live with you, but we both know how father feels. If he figures out I've seen you, he won't be happy" Weiss admitted, her voice full of guilt and regret.

"Weiss, that's the other thing… I can't protect you here. If father did something to you, if he hurt you, I'd never be able to forgive myself" Winter felt a shiver run down her spine thinking about her nightmares, how useless she felt as she watched her father hurt her baby sister.

"I know. But I have Klein here, and he'll always protect me. And if anything gets bad, I can always call you. Well, I promised I would, so I have to anyway" Weiss shrugged, like it was no big deal.

"Weiss, this isn't a joke. If he could hit me, then as much as I hate to say it, he can hit you" Winters voice was serious. She hated talking like this, hated even thinking about something like this happening, but it had to be said.

"I know it's not a joke. I saw him do it, Win. Sometimes, I can still hear him hitting you. I know I have to be careful, and I have been. I try my best to keep him calm, and when he isn't I leave. But I haven't seen him that angry since you left, and I think he's gonna be fine. You don't have to worry about me, I'll be fine" Weiss pleaded, but Winter wasn't so sure.

But the look of determination in her sisters eyes and how confident she sounded, it was easy to think Weiss had everything under control, "I'll always worry about you. But if I can't change your mind about staying here, then I guess I just have to trust you. But you need to keep me updated about everything. If he tried anything, you tell me and Klein both. Promise?"

"Didn't I already promise this?" Weiss smiled, but Winters stern face didn't waver.

"Alright, kidding. Yes, I promise if anything happens I'll tell you and Klein both. Happy?" Weiss asked, smirk on her face.

Winters face finally wavered and she cracked a smile, "No, but I'm as happy as I can be with you not coming with me" Winter sighed, standing up, pulling her sister with her. "Now lets get to bed, Klein's gonna get mad if he sees us up this late" Winter joked as she dragged her sister out of the hidden room.

"Hey, Win, do you think… I could-"

"Of course. My room's basically yours now anyway, so we can share the bed tonight" Winter smiled as they made a left. Weiss felt her heart grow lighter as she walked down the halls with her sister once again.

Winter on the other hand couldn't help but feel nervous about something. Like when you smell a bad storm coming but don't know when. But those feelings vanished when Weiss squeezed her hand and she felt that warmth seep into her skin. The manor might not be her home, but being next to her sister was definitely her home.

**-Authors note-**

**I really hope that the plan their mom came up with makes sense, but if it's written oddly and someone doesn't get it, please let me know. I tried to make it make sense and my usually proofreader was busy this week. Also, one more PSA, if you're in an abusive relationship or have an abusive parent, don't be like Weiss and think it's ok and you can handle it. Talk to a professional who can help. I hope you guys liked this chapter, because I always love writing scenes with Weiss and Winter together, it's so fun! If you have any questions or thoughts, please leave a comment! Anyway, have a great week everyone, and stay safe! **


	46. Chapter 46

Winters eyes slowly opened before she closed them right back up, turning over and moving the pillow over her head, groaning. She didn't need to set her alarm for a while, and she made sure years ago that her room was far away from the blinding rays of the morning sun, but her body still forced her awake at ungodly early hours. Half of her wanted to try and go back to sleep, but the other half, probably the Schnee half, wanted her to get up.

She took a deep breath and tried to relax, focusing on the thumping of her heart. It was strong, confident, and steady. Winter got lost in it, her mind blank and calm like a still like. For once, Winter felt like she might be able to go back to sleep…

Then, she heard her door creak open, ever so slowly, and her nirvana was lost. Even with the pillow on her head, she could still hear the soft footsteps approaching her bed. Winter kept as silent as she could as the footsteps approached.

The intruder stopped right beside her, and she could feel them watching her intently. Winter laid there, breathing slowly, waiting for an opening. She heard the floorboards creak, which for how much they cost they really shouldn't do that, and knew it was her chance to strike.

Winter threw off the covers and struck her arms out like blades, quick and deadly, wrapping them around the waist of her attacker, throwing them on the bed, sitting on their chest and pinning them down.

Winter grinned as she saw the shocked expression on her younger sister's face. Weiss' hands were over her head in surrender with a marker in her left hand and the cap in the right. Winter reached out and started to pry the marker from her sister's fingers, "Win, no please, I wasn't gonna do anything!" Weiss tried to explain, but her sister wasn't hearing any of it. Winter locked both of her sister's skinny wrists in place with one of her own, keeping her sister from tickling her and escaping.

"Really? You weren't gonna do anything? Then I'm guessing it was someone else who's been drawing on me the past month?" Winter questioned, bringing the marker dangerously close to her sister's face.

"S-Someone's been drawing on you? Why didn't you say anything? Maybe it was Klein, you know how funny he can be" Weiss laughed nervously before trying to buck her sister off wildly. Winter rode out her sisters feeble attempts at escape, her grin never wavering.

"Klein snuck into my room and drew a monkey on my arm? Or did he do the dog? Or maybe it was the elephant on my leg?" Winter questioned, moving the marker up and down her sisters face, almost touching the skin.

"It wasn't an elephant, it was a dolphin!" Weiss explained proudly, before realizing what she admitted. "I-I mean. It was probably a dolphin. They're so much more majestic, right?" Weiss tried her best to play it cool, before twisting and flopping around like a fish out of water trying to get out from under her sister.

Winter looked at her sister, amazed that someone so smart and talented could be so dumb sometimes. "Weiss… I couldn't wear a skirt for two weeks because of you and your majestic dolphin… Because I'm such a caring and loving sister, I'm gonna give you a choice. Do you want a snowflake, or a rabid unicorn?" Winter chuckled, evil twinkling in her eyes.

Weiss gulped in fear before she closed her eyes, accepting her fate, "Snowflake" Weiss mumbled, her hope gone.

"What was that? I couldn't hear you. It sounded like you weren't using proper manners, what would father think?" Winter sang, the marker ready to dance.

"I said a snowflake… please" Weiss admitted, her lips puckered like she'd just eaten something sour. Winter put her hands on her sister's head and guided it so she was looking to the left, half of her face on the mattress. She felt Winter pull at her collar, leaving the right side of her neck fully exposed, "Win, what're you doing? I never put these anywhere father could see! Wiiin!" Weiss complained in fear, but not daring to move.

"Don't worry, I might not be an artist of your caliber, but I can at least put a drawing where nobody can see. Or, maybe I won't. Worst case scenario, you wear a scarf for a few weeks" Winter giggled as she started drawing.

"Wiiin, you're being mean!" Weiss whined, before her eyes lit up, "Is it here yet?" Weiss suddenly asked, all her fear evaporated.

"I am not. I'm teaching you a very important lesson; don't draw on your sister. And not yet. But the school said it should be here any day now" Winter told her sister, an unstoppable giddiness in her voice as she kept drawing.

"I can't believe you're finally done with college though, Win! You've been working so hard for so long, and you finally did it, isn't that cool! Do you know where you're gonna get a job yet? Or are you just gonna relax for a bit for once?" Weiss laughed, enjoying the feeling of the marker traveling up and down her skin.

"Trust me, it's mostly weird. I mean, for once I don't have to have my head buried in three textbooks at once, quadruple checking that I know everything that might be on the test" Winter sighed, thinking about how many countless hours she spent studying stuff that didn't even show up on any tests.

"I think I'm gonna relax, at least for a few weeks. After that, there was this one guy who gave me his card not too long ago, said he wanted me to come work for him" Winter remembered him clear as day, looking stern but unmistakably friendly.

"Oh, Dr. Ironman, right?"

"Ironwood, but close enough. And with that, your punishment is complete" Winter put the cap back on the marker and nodded at her work, finally getting off of her sister. "Why don't you take a look? While I get ready for breakfast?" Winter grinned as she walked into her closet.

Weiss had totally forgotten about the drawing somehow. In a panic, she jumped off the bed and ran into her sisters bathroom. At first, she didn't notice anything, nothing seemed out of place. Then, she pulled down her shirt, and saw a huge snowflake on her right shoulder, with the tips almost popping out of her shirt, but not quiet. The design actually wasn't bad, but that wasn't the point! "Winter! That's way bigger than what I drew on you!" Weiss complained in time for Winter to walk into the bathroom with a pile of neatly folded clothes in her hand.

"Consider it making up for lost time. Now time to get out. I'll see you at breakfast" Winter walked over and put her hand on her sister's head, turning it around so she was facing the door before walking her out of the room. Weiss turned around in time to see her sister smile at her, riiight before Winter shut the door in her face.

Winter walked in the bathroom and stretched, her mind was awake from attacking her sister, but her body still needed another minute. And her hair… Ugh, Winter could hardly look at the poofy mess in the mirror. Instead of looking at it any longer, she hopped in the shower.

After a long relaxing shower, and an equally long time battling her hair into submission and getting it into a proper bun, Winter was finally ready for her day. She was taking the long way down to breakfast, past the music room. Winter wanted to hear her sister play the piano again, it had been way too long. She figured that she'd bring it up at breakfast.

Before long she was strolling into the dining room, her father and sister already at the proper seats. Father was at the head of the table and she was at the far corner. Her father was reading a newspaper, his face completely obscured as he read. Weiss was sitting there quietly looking forward with a bored look on her face, not saying a word. Winter strolled down with a warm smile on her face and sat next to her sister, noticing that Weiss had changed into a shirt with a collar. Huh, wonder why.

The sisters sat silently next to one another, before Winter silently tapped a beat into her sisters leg under the table. After that, the two of them were taking turns tapping beats onto the other one's leg. They were gentle, but distinct, each one adding a new part to the beat. It was a game they'd made up years ago, a silent way to occupy the time at the table so they wouldn't have to talk and risk father getting annoyed. After breakfast, the two of them would sneak off to the music room and play out whatever beat they ended up with.

Within a minute of her arrival, the chef brought out three beautiful plates of food, setting each one down in front of a Schnee. Weiss had a large waffle covered in decadent fruit, Winter had an omelet filled with exotic meats and cheeses, while father simply had a cup of black coffee and a piece of toast. With as much grace as they could muster, the sisters started to eat.

As always the chefs cooking was to die for, and Winters tongue was in heaven with every bite. The sound of footsteps echoed through the room, slowly getting louder and louder until the they came to a stop at the table, halting the game under the table.

Klein bowed respectfully, "Hello, Sir" he humbly said, his eyes turning to the sisters with a grin.

"Hello, Klein. Has that idiot Richard decided to sell? Otherwise I can't think of a reason for you to interrupt a family meal," Father said in a bored tone, not even dropping his paper.

"Not yet Sir, but I'm sure he will soon. I'm actually here with some mail for Miss Winter, that is all," He stood up, pulling a large envelope from behind his back. Winter felt her heart stop looking at what was in his hands.

"Something from school I assume?" Her father asked with the same tone, flipping the page of his paper. Winter looked at Klein, and felt her voice choke.

"N-No. Just a contract from a company that wants to hire me" Winter lied, trying her best to keep her composure. See, lying to your own father was pretty hard. But when he's as sharp as a whip and can read someone from a mile away, it makes it that much more difficult. The only thing that had saved her so far was her father's total disinterest in her schooling aside from where she went and that she got a business degree.

"You're already looking at job prospects? I didn't think you'd graduated yet. Do you want one of the lawyers to look over it?" He grabbed his coffee and took a slow sip. Winter knew he was hardly paying attention, if she asked him in an hour what he said and he wouldn't even be able to recall the conversation.

"I haven't graduated yet, father, and I'm not looking for jobs yet either. Some companies are offering positions. Don't bother the lawyers with this though, it's not like I'm gonna accept" Winter explained, taking a shaky breath.

"Winter, you know that we look at every option in business. I'll have the lawyers take a look and see what they say. Klein, would you-"

"No! Father, it's really not an issue, I'd hate for someone to waste their time with something so unimportant. I'll look it over, I know what I'm doing" Winter forced a smile, hoping her father couldn't read her too well right now.

Her father seemed to stiffen as he put down the newspaper, revealing his piercing cold blue eyes. Despite his relatively young age, he had white hair which was combed back, without a single hair out of place. He also had a moustache that filled in his face and made him seem a lot more threatening than he might be without.

He cast his gaze on her, and she felt like gravity had suddenly increased exponentially and she was getting crushed. Despite the pressure, she still managed a soft smile at him. "You're sure you know what you're doing?" He asked, his voice hard and unyielding.

"Of course, father. I would never disappoint you" Winter nodded, trying her best to match his hard tone. He eyed her down like a matador eyes down a bull, without fear, and unwilling to give any ground. He nodded at her, picking up his cup of coffee and taking a sip.

"Very well. Klein, take the contract up to Winter's room" he picked up his paper again and continued his breakfast without skipping a beat. Klein nodded, leaving quickly. He looked back at Winter, giving her a guilty expression which she subtly tried to wave away.

Winter wanted to eat, but her hands were too shaky to hold her fork anymore. Weiss had a worried look on her face, but Winter reached over and grazed her hand, getting her sisters attention long enough to send a smile her way.

When everyone was done, father stood up and left his paper on the table. "Weiss, go and practice your keys. Winter, I would like you to join her. Show her how you play Gaspard de la Nuit" With that, he turned on his heels and walked out of the dining room with all the grace and power he showed everywhere.

Winter pushed her plate forward and sighed, dropping her forehead so it was resting on the cold table. "That was close. I should've told Klein to bring it to my room, not to me. Stupid," Winter cursed at herself as she closed her eyes.

"Well, he didn't find out, so it doesn't really matter. He'll forget about it in an hour, and if he doesn't just say the deal wasn't in your favor. On the bright side, it's here" Weiss grinned as she started to rub her sisters back gently.

Winter sat up and rested her head on her hand, a small smile on her face, "Yeah, it finally is. Come on, let's go play for a bit before we check it out," Winter got up, grabbing her half empty plate as she did. Weiss followed her example, picking up her father's plate as well before the two of them strolled into the kitchen. The chef was out, but that didn't stop the girls from washing the dishes before putting them away.

The walk to the music room was filled with random conversations and jokes, just like always. Once they were at the music room they closed the door up tight before they really started to goof off. Instead of Winter teaching her sister how to play one of the hardest piano pieces ever, the two of them made up random melodies, played their song from breakfast, and even tried to play blindfolded.

Weiss' normal piano instructor was cold and only focused on the lesson. That's why on the rare days she was ordered to play with Winter, the two of them made an effort to get no work done at all! Maybe Winter wasn't the best piano teacher, but she was pretty good at keeping her sister entertained.

After an hour and a half of laughing and 'playing' the two of them decided that they'd done enough and that they could finally go and look at what was waiting in Winters room.

The sisters rushed to Winters room, and Winter couldn't help but get excited for her future. Ever since her mom had told her about the plan she'd been walking on eggshells, trying her best not to get noticed by anyone for anything. But with this… It was finally time for her to become her own person, and she was excited.

Winter opened her door to her dark room and turned on the lights, and saw the large envelope sitting on her desk. Winter wanted to say some quippy remark or joke, but she was too excited and nervous.

She couldn't go to graduation for a few reasons, but mostly because she didn't want anyone leaking what classes she'd been taking. Anyone who saw her in a psych class probably thought she was just taking an elective or something, but nobody had ever asked her about it. Guess she was sort of lucky that most people at her school were scared of her last name.

Winter reached out and grabbed the box, but it felt light for some reason. Winter turned it around and saw that it was already open. For a moment she figured Klein had wanted a look at it, but then she felt a shiver travel down her spine that left her breathless.

"How dare you…" Came a cold and cruel voice from behind her that made her skin crawl and her blood freeze. Winter turned around and saw her father standing in the corner holding her degree.

"I-I can explain" Winter stuttered, taking a step back as he walked towards her.

"Really? You can explain why this degree showed up with your name on it? You can explain why it's not for business, like _I paid for_, but some useless pseudoscience? You can explain where _my_ money went? Tell me, Winter, can you explain to me why my own daughter lied to me, stole my money, and was probably planning to run off in the night!" His words were quiet, but full of authority, power, and hate. The way he was looking at her terrified Winter to her core, and made her shiver like a lost puppy in a storm.

"M-Mom didn't think I had to work for you, so she told me to do what I want. S-she helped me, this is what she wanted" Winter whimpered, tears at the edges of her eyes. He stopped in front of her, staring at her like she was some gunk he'd stepped in on the road.

Winter opened her mouth to speak again, but before she could her father had slapped her across the face with all of his weight. A ringing noise filled her ears and the power of the hit made her take a few steps back. She almost lost her footing and fell, but somehow managed to stay on her feet.

Winter brought her fingers to her cheek, wincing as her fingers grazed the red skin on her face. She looked over at her father who was standing over her, anger in his eyes but with his body looking calm as ever. Like he hadn't just hit his oldest daughter.

"If you think I'll let you sully my wife's name in order for you to sell your sob story, think again. If you ever imply something so atrocious again, you will regret it" His tone was detached but angry, but all Winter could do was stare at him in shock, hand on her face, ringing still in her ears.

He looked her right in the eyes as he held up her degree. She hardly even got to glance at it before he started to rip it to pieces. He ripped it again and again and again and again, his eyes glued to hers before he let the pieces drop to the ground. Winter wanted to reach out, to try and grab some part of it before it hit the ground but she couldn't. She had no will left, and couldn't even find the strength to lift a finger, let alone an arm. Years of work and effort, torn to shreds in an instant.

"The damage can still be undone though. I'll make some calls, and in the morning you'll be shipped off to a private college where you'll get your proper schooling done in no time. Pack and say your goodbyes to your sister, you'll be gone in the morning"

He walked out, closing the door softly behind him, leaving her standing there in shock. That was when her legs gave out, and she fell to her knees, broken. She sat there, staring at the scraps of her degree and felt like she was bleeding out, the life slowly draining from her body.

Some small part of her wanted to fight, to stand up and chase after him, to yell about how this is what she wanted… But she knew better. He wouldn't listen and wouldn't care. Instead, she sat there, looking at her shattered dreams, and simply hoped she'd bleed out quicker.


	47. Chapter 47

Cold. She wasn't sure why, but Winter was freezing, her body shivering violently. She wanted to go grab a blanket or something, but her legs wouldn't work, like they were dead weight. Winter didn't really care, accepting the situation for what it was, hopeless. She felt something slide down her face, and realized she was crying.

She heard someone say something, but couldn't make out what and couldn't be bothered to look. Her eyes were glued to the floor, half in focus.

She felt something cool touch the side of her face and flinched slightly, but didn't move after that. Compared to the rest of her body, this was nothing. She felt something warm wrap around her shoulders, which helped fight off the horrible cold, if only slightly. Winter felt someone play with her hair, a lot like how her mom used to. She felt more tears fall, but couldn't move to wipe them away.

Whatever was wrapped around her suddenly vanished, leaving an empty feeling in her chest in its stead. Then, something white moved in front of her eyes. Winter felt something warm and soft gently touch her face, and it made her feel safe and secure.

The white blob came a bit more in focus, and Winter noticed that it had sparkling blue eyes, filled with concern and stars. It was a girl.

"-ter, can you talk to me? Winter, can you nod your head if you can hear me" The girl asked, her thumbs moving up and down ever so softly on her cheeks. Winter thought about doing nothing, but the girl sounded desperate… So, Winter slowly nodded her head up and down, exactly like she'd been told. "Good! Good, ok, good. Winter, can you look at me?"

What an odd request this girl had. But seeing as Winter had nothing better to do, she looked at the girl. When she did, the girl came into clear focus, and Winter realized she was looking at her sister.

"Weiss," Winter croaked, her throat felt raw and her voice sounded harsh ad rough.

"Great! That's so good Win! Ok, now how about we stand up, ok?" Weiss pleaded, reaching down and putting an arm under her sisters, trying to help her up.

Winter thought it was dumb at first, there wasn't a need for her sister to help her, but when she tried it on her own, her legs almost gave out.

"Careful there, Win. Come on, let's get you to the bed," Weiss directed, helping her sister wobble over the few steps to her bed. Weiss heaved as she set her sister down on the bed, panting with the effort of carrying her sister, who was a good bit bigger than her.

Winter reached down and started to rub her legs, questions at the tip of her tongue. Before she got one out though, she realized that something felt… Wrong. Looking around the room, Winter saw that all of the lights were on, but something about the lighting was off from what she remembered. Her eyes stumbled onto the window, where she saw the nights sky and stars glimmering across the horizon.

"That can't be right. Weiss, why's it so late already? We had breakfast, like, an hour ago," Winter complained, her eyes scouring the window for any sign of the sun.

"Winter, I'm not sure what you remember, but you've been sitting like that all day," Weiss explained, her voice breaking as she bit her trembling lip.

"What do you mean, all day? It was just daylight outside a minute ago!" Winter argued, pointing at the window"

Weiss looked away from her, but forced herself to talk anyway, " Win, you haven't moved in hours. You've been on the floor looking at- at the floor, for hours. I wasn't sure what was wrong," Weiss blubbered, tears streaming down her face.

Winter watched her sister, guilt welling up in her stomach. _All day?_ Winter thought, knowing that her sister was right but hoping she was wrong. But how else could the sun have already set?

Winter reached out and grabbed her sister's hand, pulling the girl into her lap and wrapping her arms around her shoulders. Winter realized then that the warm thing that had been wrapped around her earlier was her sister's arms.

"It was so scary, it was like you were gone" Weiss cried, pulling her sister tighter, "I wasn't sure what to do, you didn't even look like you were hearing me" Cried Weiss, her hands wrapped around Winters shirt, holding on like her life depended on it.

_I was in shock, that's why I wasn't moving._ Thought Winter, terror in her heart. She looked down at the shredded paper on the ground, and everything came rushing back to her. She felt like crumpling on the floor again… But she knew she couldn't.

"I'm sorry, Weiss, that must've been a lot to deal with. You did a great job and I'm back now. Honestly, I don't think I could've done any better, and that's my job" Winter chuckled, patting her sister on the back.

Weiss pulled away and wiped off the tears from her face, taking deep breaths trying to get control of herself. "Winter, you need to leave" She said suddenly, her eyes were hard but full of sadness.

"What? Why?" Winter asked, confused and hurt that her sister would say something like that.

"You heard what father said, he's shipping you out of here in the morning. Neither of us want that, so… you should leave. Tonight,"

Winter opened her mouth, but had no idea what to say, "W-Where?" Was the most eloquent thing she could think to say. Winter wanted to fight what her sister was saying, but deep down… Winter knew she was right. She had to leave.

"Call that Iron guy right now and take him up on his offer. Or maybe you could go somewhere else and look for a job, but somewhere that's not here"

"Weiss, it's the middle of the night. Even if he picks up, I don't think-"

"Winter! I love you, but we don't really have time to argue. If you don't call him, father will make sure you can never work with him, so what's the worst that could happen? Call him, please, and tell him it's an emergency" She begged, her hands balled into fists. Winter looked at her sister, sighing as she pulled out her phone. She thought about grabbing the business card from her wallet, but she'd already memorized the number.

Winter dialed the number quickly, anxiously waiting for an answer. All it took was two rings. "Dr. Ironwood, how can I help you?" Said a kind, deep voice on the other side of the phone.

Winter sat there, silently stunned. She hadn't really thought he would pick up, so she didn't exactly know what she was gonna say. "Um, hello Dr. Ironwood. I'm not sure if you remember me, my name's Winter," Her words stumbled out with all the grace of a drunk bear, but he didn't seem to mind.

"Of course I remember you, how could I forget? What seems to be on your mind, Winter?" he asked her, she could almost hear the smile in his voice.

"Well, um, awhile ago you offered me a job and I was… I was wondering if I could accept" Winter gulped while Weiss gave her a big smile.

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the call, but right as she got nervous, he talked, "Of course, we'd be glad to have you, Winter"

"R-really? You mean it?" Winter beamed, her mood suddenly skyrocketing, but there was a shadow of doubt in her heart that left her feeling worried and scared.

"I never joke about things like this. When can you start?" he asked calmly, but Winter was feeling anything but. Winter looked at Weiss, who was mouthing one simple word to her,

"Monday?" Winter said, not thinking.

"That soon? Guess you're excited to start. Why don't you come in on Sunday and set up your office first? Call me in the morning and we'll iron out the details?"

"That sounds amazing! Perfect! I'll call you then!" Winter beamed, her heart pounding, making her feel alive.

"I'll see you in Vale on Monday," He said before hanging up.

"Wait, Vale? Like, the city Vale? Dr. Ironwood?" Winter puzzled, not sure if she'd heard right.

"What was that about Vale?" Weiss questioned, scratching her head.

"I.. I gotta move to Vale. That's where the job is" She breathed, not sure what to think.

"Win… that's incredible! You're finally living your dream!" Weiss jumped on her, giving her a huge hug, but Winter wasn't all that happy.

"Weiss, Vale's a long ways away from here. It's not like it's up the road where I can still visit on the weekends," Winter looked up at the ceiling, feeling tears coming one more time.

"But Win, this is your dream! It's gonna stink not seeing you all the time, but we can still talk on the phone and stuff! I'm just so happy for you, you finally get to live the life you want!" Weiss smiled, tears in her eyes as she hugged her sister tightly. Winter was about to grab hold of Weiss, but her sister pulled away quickly.

"First things first, we need to find you a place to live down there and fast. We don't have much time, so how about you do that while I start packing up your clothes?" Weiss asked, but was already running to Winter's closet.

Weiss was moving swiftly, grabbing what she knew her sister liked and what she thought she would need on her own. Winter sat back and watched her move and a feeling of loss started to crawl around in her belly. It burned, and seemed to leave her feeling empty, but watching her sister move with so much determination filled her with hope. So she walked over, booted up her laptop, and got to work.

The next few hours flew by. Winter wasn't sure where she found them, but Weiss had managed to find a good few boxes to fill with her possessions. Winter had found a cheap, one bedroom apartment, right near the downtown area. But, it didn't feel right. She looked at her sister, speeding around her room helping her pack, and smiled. Winter sent a deposit over for a small two bedroom apartment that was cheap, but also looked modern and homey.

"That doesn't look too bad. You could probably afford something a bit… Nicer though. I mean, you have your own bank accounts, right?" Weiss noted as she looked over her sister's shoulder.

"I guess that's true. But something about using the money he gave me, it doesn't exactly feel right anymore, you know?" Winter remarked, tapping her chin with a finger.

"So you just aren't gonna pay your deposit?" Weiss asked her, a small smile on her face.

"Oh, I don't think he'll mind paying first and last month's rent. But I think once I start getting actually paid, I'm gonna try and rely on that as much as I can. I wanna actually be independent, ya know?" Winter asked, leaning back in her desk chair.

Weiss looked at her curiously before smiling, "Yeah, I think I get it. Please, just promise me if it comes down to it you'll use the money he gave you? I don't want you to be so stubborn that you end up going hungry or kicked out of your apartment" Weiss complained, making Winter laugh.

"Ok, ok, I promise. I just doubt I'm gonna be splurging on anything fancy" Winter chuckled as she wrote down the address of her new apartment building. Winter shut down her computer and packed it away in her backpack.

Winter looked around her room and thought of anything else she might need. Weiss had done her a huge favor and packed up most of her clothes, she didn't really need any of her old textbooks, she had her computer and phone, but really, what else did she need?

"Do you think I'm good?" Winter wondered, walking around her room trying to think of anything else she might need.

"Your toothbrush, combs, and makeup are all packed. Speaking of which, you might wanna put some makeup on that before you leave" Weiss was pointing to her face, but Winter wasn't sure why. Then the memory instantly flooded back into her mind and she felt the sting on her face again.

Winter walked into the bathroom and noticed the large red hand print on her face, "Oh… Right," Winter said, almost in a daze again.

"Here, let me" Said Weiss as she pulled out her own makeup, having Winter sit down on the toilet while she worked. The sister sat in silence, Weiss masterfully applying makeup While Winter sat there, lost in her own thoughts.

"Is this really happening?" Winter suddenly questioned, the last day not really catching up with her yet.

"Yeah, it is. You're finally leaving the nest, going off to live your real life" Weiss gave her a sad smile, her brush dropping for a second, "I'm gonna miss you so much"

Winter's heart broke, but she forced a smile on her face anyway, forcing the tears down so they didn't ruin her sister's handiwork, "You know I'm gonna miss you too… Maybe you should come with me?" Winter suggested, not joking. Weiss opened her mouth, but closed it and shook her head sadly.

"I can't. You know if both of us left he'd hunt us both down to the ends of the earth. Besides, i still have some stuff I wanna do here. But we'll see each other again soon. I want you to go live a little though, enjoy your life and forget about your clingy little sister for a bit, ok?"

Winter laughed as a tear slipped out, "You know I can never forget about you, you're way too fun to make fun of" Winter couldn't help but glow as she watched her sister laugh again, something she probably wouldn't get to see for awhile.

"Oh, well I'm glad you care so much about me" Weiss chuckled as she examined her work. One nod later, Winter was back in front of the mirror. Instead of the red mark, there was now… Nothing. Her face looked as good as new. It still stung, but at least now nobody would say anything.

"Dang, not bad,"

"This is nothing. If you ever let me do your full makeup you'd look straight out of a fairy tail" Weiss confidently stated, flipping her hair back and crossing her arms.

"You know I don't like stuff like that!" Winter whined, but she couldn't help picture herself looking like a dazzling princess, "Ok, next time I promise I'll let you do it" Winter relented, enjoying the excited look in her sister's eyes.

"I guess it's time for us to pack up the car" Weiss sighed, looking at the stacks of boxes that Weiss had moved next to the door, " …They look heavy"

Winter laughed as she watched her sister struggle to pick up a single box, but was interrupted by a knock at the door. Both of them stopped dead, and Winter started to shake as she looked at the door. Weiss looked at her, gesturing for her to get the door, but Winters feet were planted firm. She wasn't even sure if she could move.

Weiss seemed to understand, walking over and grabbing her sister's hand, squeezing it and looking at her with confidence, showing that she wasn't alone. Winter took a deep breath before she and Weiss walked to the door and opened it carefully, like it was made of glass.

Standing outside of their door was a very somber looking Klein, "Hello, Miss. I hate to intrude, but I couldn't help but overhear your plan when I came to check on you earlier. I imagined this would be of service?" He nodded to his left, where Winter noticed a large, flat cart. Winter had seen these used to haul tables and chairs around whenever they had big events in the manor.

"Huh. Yeah, that might help a little" Winter acknowledged with a small nod.

"Thanks Klein, we thought you were father for a sec there" Weiss admitted, letting go of her sister's hand and trying to grab another box that was way too big for her.

"I understand. thankfully Sir Jacques is busy in his office. For now, let's make haste while we can" He ducked into the room quickly, grabbing three boxes like it was nothing before setting them gently down on the cart.

The three of them worked fast, and in no time at all the cart was packed to the brim with boxes. Winter and Weiss were panting, but Klein seemed to be totally fine, despite him doing most of the work. Was he that strong, or were they that weak?

"Alright, let's go to the garage. Unless there's anything else you'd like to see or take with you before departing, Miss Winter?" He questioned, a small smile on his face.

There was one thing that Winter wanted to do, well, one person she wanted to see. But it was almost sunrise and they were raising against the clock. As much as Winter wanted to, she didn't have the time to tell her mother where she was going.

"No, let's get going" decided Winter, setting off with Klein and Weiss.

It was normally a relatively short walk to the garage, but because of the boxes they'd need to take the long way with the service elevators. Winter wasn't sure why, but the longer the three of them walked, the more awkward Klein seemed to become. He wouldn't look at her and didn't talk, despite him usually being the pinnacle of life and conversation.

"Klein, is everything ok?" She wondered as they walked, wanting this settled before her departure. Klein looked uncomfortable, but shook his head.

"I'm so sorry Miss. All of this was my fault. I had a feeling what that letter would be, but still took it to you with your father present. If I'd simply waited a few minutes, then everything would have been fine. Curse me" He spat, grief and anger at himself infused in every word he said.

Winter reached out and grabbed his shoulder, "I was the one who asked you to do it, and there's no way you could've known that father would actually ask about it. I mean, you could say aliens existed and the man wouldn't ask a question about it" Winter chuckled, "It's nobody's fault, so there's no point in blaming yourself. He was gonna find out sooner or later, and at least we made it this far" Winter smiled, meaning every word she said.

Klein looked at her before looking away, wiping his eyes, "You're going to be a wonderful psychologist, Miss Winter. That is something I know for certain" And without another word he continued on.

A few minutes later, they were opening the doors to the garage. Now, most billionaires have massive car collections that they don't drive and are only there to collect dust and to be bragged about. Her father was exactly the same. He never drove himself, yet insisted on having the most expensive and rare cars money can buy. End to end was decorated with some of the most expensive accessories you could pay for. But right at the end, in the far corner, sat Winters humble bug.

Her father had wanted to get her something sleek and stylist, something that would make all of the other heiresses cry with jealousy. Her mother on the other hand wanted to give her a more humble car that was cute and wouldn't make her stand out as much. Can you guess who won that battle?

They got to the bug quick enough, and started to pack it full of boxes in silence. The whole trunk, back seat, and passenger seat ended up getting totally filled with boxes. "Is it legal for me to have this much stuff in my car? I mean, I can hardly see out of my rear view" Winter questioned as she tried to move some boxes and get some more visibility.

"I believe it is, but I would highly recommend going under the speed limit, just in case" Klein winked.

"Even if you get pulled over, all you gotta do is wink at them and they should let you go, right?" Weiss added, causing Winter and Klein to laugh.

"It wouldn't hurt to throw in a few tears as well," Klein chuckled brightly.

"Come on guys, all I have to do is smile and I'm home free," Winter gave them her best, seductive smile, which succeeded in making them both burst out laughing, including herself.

After that, a small silence filled the room. It felt like it was choking them, but at the same time, none of them wanted to break it. Klein coughed into his hand, bringing both of their attention to him.

"I have a present for the both of you," Before he unceremoniously pulled two phones from his back pocket, handing one of them to each of the sisters, "New phones that your father has no connection to. They might be a little old, but they can get the job done. Plus, they have every phone number you might need in case of an emergency" Winter opened up the phone and found that there were only two numbers saved in it, Weiss and Klein.

"This is perfect, Klein, Everyone I need is in here. Thank you… You have no idea how much I'll miss you" Winter walked over and pulled the butler into a hug, which he gladly returned.

"Don't be afraid to call me if you ever need assistance with anything, or if you simply want to talk. It's been an honor watching you grow up into such a fine young woman, Miss. I will truly miss you" He pulled her in tight for a second before taking a step back and nodding to the two of them, "I'll give you two some time alone" Then he took the cart, and left the sisters by themselves.

They looked at each other awkwardly, neither of them really sure what to say. But together they smiled, and walked into an embrace.

"Please be safe out there, and call me as soon as you get to your apartment, ok?" Weiss blubbered, crying for the thousandth time today.

"I will. Be safe here too, keep a lookout for your father's temper. And you have some homework from you big sis, make sure you goof off at least once a day, ok?"

"Ugh, fine, I guess I can stomach that, but only for you" the sisters got quiet one last time, simply enjoying the warmth shared between them. It was warmth that had kept both of them going for so long, that had kept them both happy in a place that was stifling and boring, that wanted to crush their wills. But they had survived together, but now they didn't have that luxury anymore.

"I love you, Win" Weiss mumbled, burying her face in her sister's side.

"I love you too, dork. I'll see you soon,"

"Wow, what a great thing to call your sister before leaving" Weiss chuckled through her tears, both of them letting the other go.

"Right? I thought so too. Oh, and could you do me a favor? Tell mom what's going on?" Winter asked, her voice cracking.

"I will, don't worry" Weiss smiled, as she watched her big sister climb into her car.

Winter smiled in her car, trying to look brave or confident, but knowing she was doing a lousy job of it. She wanted to do anything else but shut that door, wanted to stay with her sister more than anything… But in the end, she had to close the door.

No, she didn't want to leave, but she did want what was in front of her. A job, a career, a future, maybe even some real friends? She didn't think about what she was leaving as she started the car, she thought about her future, and all of those exciting unknowns that she craved.

She waved to her sister as she drove out of the garage, both of them smiling, not knowing what the future would hold. She watched as the manor grounds slowly disappeared behind her, the monstrous building turning into a spec in her rear view mirror.

Winters ears perked up, thinking she heard something different in the engine, but didn't pay it any mind. She'd been driving this car for years and nothing bad had ever happened with it, so what were the chances of something actually going wrong with her car? She had a long way to go before she got to Vale, but she could already feel her heart pounding. Winter watched the sun slowly rise over the horizon, illuminating Atlas and making it look like a painting. It was the perfect way to start her first day alone.

**-Authors note-**

**One more psa, if someone is abusive like Jacques, please tell a trusted professional. These past two chapters were pretty intense, but I hope you guys enjoyed seeing what it was like for Winter before the story started. If you guys have any questions, comments, or anything else, please leave a comment, I read them all! Thanks again to everyone who's read up to this point and continues to read this long af story, I'm trying my best to make it as best as I can!**


	48. Chapter 48

Winters eyes opened slowly, she felt groggy and exhausted, but the darkness of the room and warmth of the blankets comforted and relaxed her. There wasn't any confusion as she looked around the room, her eyes slowly adjusting to the light, she knew exactly where she was and why. The surprise came when she tried to move, but found herself locked in place by a set of thin, yet surprisingly strong, arms.

Turning her head, Winter saw her sister sleeping peacefully next to her. The girls mouth was wide open as she snored lightly, drooling on her pillow. It was a cute look for her sister, and it was nice to see her face completely free from stress for once.

Winter loved looking at her sisters sleeping face, but wasn't sure the next time she would get to see this side of her sister again. So, she took her time and drank in the sight. It did make her jealous that even after a night of tossing and turning her sister's hair looked flawless and straight as an arrow.

looking down at her sister's arms wrapped around her stomach, Winter realized how tightly her sister was holding onto her, almost like Weiss was afraid she might disappear at any moment. It was sweet, and made Winter feel deeply loved and cared for. Thing is, it didn't exactly change how much she needed to use the bathroom.

Ever so gently, Winter grabbed her sister's hands and tried to move them away from her belly. They started to move, but then they jerked to a halt, like when you mess up switching gears driving stick shift. Something her father had adamantly forbidden her from doing after hearing the horrible noises she brought out from his precious cars. Thing is, Winter couldn't exactly be mad at him for that one, the thing was smoking after a quick drive around the estate after all.

"How are you this strong in your sleep but you can't even do a push up when you're awake?" huffed Winter as she tried her hardest to force her sisters hands away again. She was trying to be gentle and not to wake the sleeping angel, but she also really had to go and the hug was becoming a lot less endearing pretty quickly.

After another hard tug, Winter looked down and saw her sister grinning like a villain with her eyes closed. "Seriously? You're such a dork. If you don't let me up soon, then you better invest in a set of plastic sheets" Winter complained, letting go of her sister's hands.

Weiss opened one eye and gazed up at her sister with an annoyed look on her face, "Fine, go, but you're no fun," Weiss grumbled as she let go of her sister.

"Noted, but I've known that for a long time," Winter smiled, flicking her sisters forehead lightly as she got up and ran to the bathroom.

"Ow! Why do you always have to bully me?" Weiss cried out to her sister right in time for the bathroom door to slam shut. Weiss sighed, rubbing the red spot her sister surely left behind, a soft smile on her face as she fell back into the pillows. The bed was colder now, but she'd survive. Weiss felt her consciousness fade back into the land of dreams, her eyes getting heavier and heavier, until they slid shut again.

The creak of the floorboards and the sound of a door shutting snapped Weiss awake, not sure how long it had been. She sat up and saw Winter standing over the bed, her hair poofy and wild like always, an uncomfortable look on her face as she scratched the back of her head.

"I was thinking, before I leave, would you wanna go see mom with me?" Winter wondered as she played with her long hair absentmindedly. Weiss rolled off of the bed with a smile and walked to the door without hesitation.

"Give me a few minutes to change, then let's go," Weiss yawned as she stretched her arms high into the air.

"I didn't mean now, I meant like in a few hours after we've had some time to relax" Explained Winter as she sat down on the bed.

"I hate to say it, Win, but the faster you're gone the better" Weiss explained, hand on the door handle. Winter opened her mouth to counter, but there really wasn't a good argument.

"I hate it when you're smarter than me," Winter sighed as she stood up and walked over to her closet, "ten minutes, then we'll head out" Weiss couldn't help but chuckle triumphantly as she opened the door and left.

Winter shook her head, a smile sprouting before she realized what'd hit her. Winter turned around and remade her bed, making sure every crease was gone and the corners were tucked in tight. Looking down at the bed was odd, because she realized that she never actually made her bed in the city. She made sure it was neat, but not absolutely pristine like she did here. Maybe these walls were cursed after all?

Not wasting any more time, Winter walked into her closet and started to look at all her old clothes. Weiss had done a great job packing for her, so Winter had never really thought about what clothes she'd left behind. Looking out at the sea of clothes and shoes in her closet now though, it was sort of overwhelming what she'd left behind.

A big part of her wanted to shove it all in boxes and take it back home with her, it was her clothes after all. But at the same time, she didn't really need any more clothes. She'd been fine for months, and she knew she'd be fine in the future. So instead she simply grabbed one new outfit to put on for the day before she slid the door of her closet shut, probably for the last time.

A few minutes later, she and Weiss were on their way outside, walking down the hallways with more than a little pep in their steps. When they made it to the main lobby, they found their smiling, ever smiling butler waiting for them with a polite bow.

"Hello, madams, how are you doing on this fine morning?" He asked in his usual chipper tone.

"We're fine, how about you? Also, Klein, I've known you my whole life but I still have no idea how you're such a morning person" Winter thought aloud, which made Kleins smile even brighter somehow.

"Years of practice I suppose, and I'm doing as well as always. Would either of you care for any breakfast?" His eyes stuck to Weiss for a moment longer than normal before they returned to Winter.

"In a bit I suppose, but first we have someone we need to go see" announced Weiss proudly. Klein stood up straighter, his smile looking a little more forced than it had only a second prior.

"Ah, I see. Well then, I'll have breakfast ready for when you return" He bowed respectfully before walking off to who knows where.

"He never really knows what to say when we talk about her, does he?" Weiss questioned as the sisters walked through the front doors.

"No, but I can't blame him. It's not like fathers any better," Winter shrugged, glad to feel the morning sun on her skin as she stretched her legs.

"That's true," Weiss admitted as the sisters started the trek, falling into a comfortable silence.

There were some advantages to living in a monster sized mansion, but one huge disadvantage is how dang long it took to get anywhere. Past the tennis courts, basketball courts, pool, and the horse stables sat a greenhouse, their first stop.

The greenhouse was pretty small when compared to everything else in the manor, only about the size of a basketball court. The whole thing was made out of special glass that let heat pass through easily, with thick vines growing up half the building almost to the roof.

"The vines are really getting out of control without mom" noted Winter as she forced the doors away from the grip of the vines. When the door cracked open, Winter instantly felt the humidity and heat leak out of the building, and could already feel herself sweating. With the heat and sweat came the heavenly aroma of flowers and life that her mother had loved so much.

"You know she would've loved to see them like this, all wild and free. The flowers on the other hand…" Weiss sighed as she gazed out at the ocean of beautiful multicolored flowers inhabiting pots that were big and small, with stone walkways criss-crossing between them.

There were two things that linked all of the plants in this greenhouse, they were all hand planted and taken care of by their mom, and they were all starting to get overrun by weeds.

"How did weeds even get in here? It's a greenhouse for pete's sake" Winter complained as she pulled a handful of the leeches away from a pot of some amazing red and white flowers that were starting to wilt.

Weiss stayed silent as she walked between the rows of plants, her fingers grazing as many of them as she could. The flowers bounced ever so slightly as she touched them, but Winter couldn't help imagining the flowers getting excited to see someone here again.

"When was the last time you were here?" Winter asked as she followed after her sister.

"It was before you left, but I'm not sure. I had no idea that the weeds had gotten this bad, but I'm glad the sprinkler system's still going. It would stink if they started to die" Weiss muttered as she came to a stop.

Winter came to a halt next to her sister, their eyes landing on the same thing, a large pot filled with white roses. They're called iceberg roses, and they were the most beautiful plant in the world to Winter.

"Did you ever wonder why this was her favorite flower?" Winter questioned, reaching out and gently touching one of the silk soft petals.

"Not really. Honestly, when she first showed them to me I didn't even hear what she was saying at first. They're just… Beautiful" Weiss whispered, a nostalgic smile on her face.

"Really? You never told me that," Winter chuckled as she wrapped her arm around her sisters shoulders.

"I never told her either, but I wasn't exactly that subtle about it" Weiss laughed as she reached out, careful to avoid any thorns, and picked two of the flowers, handing one to her older sister.

"You? Not being subtle? Nooo" Winter put her hand in front of her gaping mouth, her eyes wide with fake shock.

"Ya know, sometimes I wonder if you're really a therapist with how mean to me you are" Weiss grumbled as she turned and walked away.

"I tease out of love, that's all, dork" Winter chuckled, causing Weiss to look over her shoulder and roll her eyes with a smirk on her lips.

With their flowers in hand, they left the greenhouse. Getting out of that heat was a blessing, but the Winter would always miss the smell of those flowers, it was one of the few things she really did love in Atlas.

The girls talked and joked about random things as they walked into a small wooded area at the edge of the property. With the basketball courts and all the modern amenities, this section of woods almost felt out of place as they walked into it.

After only a few minutes of walking, the sisters spotted a large cast iron gate that surrounded a large, flat section of grass and stone, the Scnhee family cemetery.

Winter unlatched the gate and swung it open with a creak, getting a good look at the sea of white tombstones that filled the space to the brim. Even though it was out in the middle of the woods something about it felt static and lonely, totally separate from the nature on the other side of the gate.

Winter sighed as she walked down the concrete path, walking further and further into the cemetery. Every headstone had the same size, font, and last name, for some reason she pictured hundreds of people exactly like her father staring down at her, and it made her legs tremble. Winter didn't let that deter her though, instead she gripped the rose firm, and kept leading the way.

A borderline unnatural silence was suffocating the graveyard as they walked down the path past their ancestors, like the stones themselves were judging them. Anxiety crawled up winters spine the further in they went, but one look at Weiss confidently strolling forward told her that her anxiety was misplaced.

The second they got to the far right corner of the cemetery, Winters anxiety disappeared altogether. Under the shade of a large oak tree planted right outside of the fence, sat the grave of Willow Schnee.

Unlike the rest of the bland headstones, their moms was lively and unique. There were carved flowers of all shapes and sizes blooming along the edge of her headstone, and the font was actually their moms own handwriting instead of the classic serif font that plagued every other stone. There was also an amazingly lifelike carving of their mom on it, her gorgeous smile on full display from now till the end of time.

When she found out she was sick, their mom had stayed optimistic, never letting her mood get down, or at least never letting her daughters see her when she was down. One of the odder ways she kept her spirit up was designing her own headstone. Nobody really knew why, but it gave their mom a huge sense of peace and calm until the end. Winter thought it was a way for her mom to feel some control of her situation, but her mom was also weird enough to love something like that even if she wasn't sick.

The last thing their mother had on her gravestone was a quote, _Beautiful Winter and stunning White Snow, I love and cherish you always, live free_. Reading the message for the first time had brought her to her knees, breaking her down to a sobbing mess, That had been years ago, but Winter knew if she let her walls down she could be there again in a second.

"Hey, Mom…" Winter started, her voice cracking, "I know it's been awhile, sorry about that. Uh, I think Weiss told you though, I got a job! A really good one too! I've gotten tons of experience from Dr. Ironwood, and I also met a really cool girl there named Amy. She's actually the best friend I've ever really had" Winter felt her sister punch her leg lightly, an over the top annoyed expression on her face.

"Sorry, non-family friend. You'll always be my best friend, Weiss" Winter corrected with a chuckle as her sister nodded her approval silently. "I've made a few friends actually, and they're all amazing. Oh, and I've had a lot of really cool patients too. Some were kind of dorky while others were straight up weird in the best ways, it's been amazing. But… It hasn't always been easy," Winter sighed, her walls finally giving out as she started to cry.

"It's weird, after growing up around so few people, I thought it would be great meeting new people, and it was. But there's so much pain too. There's something I want, and I think it'll be good for me. But it's something I shouldn't want for a lot of reasons, and a lot might go wrong if I tried. I wanna do my best and do what I think is right, but it all becomes so hazy and weird when you add more people into the mix, let alone work. I just… I wish I knew what to do. I wish you were here to help," Cried Winter, as she looked down at her moms smiling face, realizing now exactly how much she missed the real thing.

Weiss reached out and grabbed Winters hand lightly, a smile on her face that was an exact copy of their moms. It made Winter feel warm and light, easing the pain of loneliness that had been there since their mom had passed.

"I think I know what she'd say" beamed Weiss.

"Really? And what would that be?" Winter wondered with an ugly tear stained grin.

"She'd tell you to do what makes you happy no matter what. Even if that Iron guy is the best in the world, the worst case scenario is you get another job. But if you don't get what you want, and you want it enough to tell mom about it, something tells me that won't come around too often," Encouraged Weiss, shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly.

"When did you get so wise? You sound like you should have a super long beard and live on top of a mountain," Winter teased, making her sister laugh.

"Please, if I lived on top of a mountain then who would give your sorry butt advice?" Weiss countered, pretending to stroke her imaginary beard.

"You got me there," Winter relented, looking down at their moms grave. For the first time, Winter noticed that there were flowers already at the foot of the grave. They were white lilies that had only been in the sun for a few days, "Did you leave that there?"

"No, you know mom never really liked lilies. She always said they were a bit too full of themselves and had enough people that loved them" Weiss shrugged as she bent down, making sure not to disturb the plant. "Think it was Klein?"

"No way, he only comes out he's with one of us," assured Winter, puzzled. The sisters realized at the same time that there was only really one person left who would bring her flowers.

"Do you think he comes out here a lot?" Weiss wondered as she laid down her single white rose over her mother's grave, right beside the lily.

"I have no clue, that man's a mystery" Winter relented, bending down and ever so carefully setting down her own rose next to Weiss'.

The grave was so beautiful, exactly like their mother. But Winter couldn't help but picture her resting in a place that actually felt alive and connected to nature, and a sad smile filled her face. At least she had her tree, and she was close to her daughter.

"I'm not sure when I'm gonna be able to see you again, mom. But I really wanted you to know that your daughters are gonna be just fine. After all, you raised us right and we grew up smart," Winter said, assuring her mom, sister, and herself that everything was gonna be ok. It wasn't empty words either, something about saying out loud to her mom really made Winter feel confident.

Suddenly Winter felt a warmth spread all throughout her body, like someone was giving her a hug, and she felt completely relaxed for the first time in far too long. Winter turned around, but nobody was there.

Winter couldn't help but smile as she started walking back to the manor, "Come on, Weiss, Kleins gonna get worried if we're out here much longer," but before she could get too far, she turned around and faced her mom one last time, "I love you, mom, I'll come visit again as soon as I can" And with that, the sisters walked back to the manor, feeling lighter and freer than when they had been a few minutes prior.

**-Authors note-**

**Hey everyone, I know I usually post on Saturdays but this week I'm not really gonna have access to a computer that day. So, you guys are getting this weeks chapter a little early, hope nobody minds! This won't be a normal thing, and probably won't happen again until the story's done. As always, let me know if you have any comments or questions or anything! Oh, and someone was confused about what the deal was with the last two chapters, and they were both flashbacks to the day before Winter left for Vale, I hope that helps! Anyway, see you guys next week, hope you enjoy!**


	49. Chapter 49

The afternoon sun was shining brilliantly on the grounds, making the greens of the grass and trees pop against the perfectly blue sky while the frosty air nipped at Winters skin. With the mountains looming in the far distance, it looked exactly like the kind of painting that her father would pay a fortune for. What made the scenery even better was who she was with, her ever supportive butler and her amazing sister who always managed to get her to smile. The three of them stood in the driveway, basking in the heat of the sun knowing what was coming next, but enjoying this last moment of peace together.

"Are you sure I can't get you anything else aside from that megar lunch? I can't help but feel like your breakfast was lacking in vitamins," worried Klein, his face filled with concern.

"You cooked us a full English breakfast, waffles, and bowls of fruit, what part of that seems lacking to you?" asked Winter with a glimmer in her eye as she watched him straighten his back.

"For one, there was a large lack of vegetables, which would give you a much needed boost in energy for the drive ahead of you," he explained, sounding a lot more like a nutritionist than a butler.

"Didn't you load my lunch up with veggies?"

"Yes, but there's never such a thing as too many vegetables, now is there?" He winked, making the older girl smile.

"I think I'll survive. But thanks for worrying about me, I really appreciate it. Ya know, even if you are a bit much sometimes," Winter laughed as she pulled the small moustached butler in for a tight embrace. "I hope you know how much I love you," She whispered into his ear. Winter wasn't sure, but she was pretty sure his arms were trembling around her.

"If you really mean that, then maybe you should call me more than once every six months," he joked, patting her on the back before letting her go with a smile, his finger quickly wiping his eye. "Excuse me, I think I may have left the stove on. I expect to hear from you soon, Miss Winter. Please, have a pleasant drive home… I will be waiting patiently for the day I get to see you again"

He gave her a warm smile that made Winters' whole world light up before he bowed and quickly walked back into the manor, leaving the sisters alone once again.

"This seems a bit familiar doesn't it?" Weiss joked, her hands playing with the hem of her dress. Winter opened her mouth, something sweet and loving about to be said, but then her eyes exploded open and she dove towards her car, throwing open the back seat with reckless abandon.

"How the heck could I have forgotten?" Winter panicked, her heart was beating like a drum as she tore apart her back seat in a frantic search. As she cast her eyes to the floor of the car, she felt her nerves calm and the hammering come to a slow stop.

She grabbed the box that was covered in purple wrapping paper and heaved it out of the car. It wasn't that big, maybe ten inches by ten inches, but it was dense. "Merry Christmas!" Winter chirped, her face filled with pride while her sisters was filled with shock and surprise.

"What's that?" Weiss wondered, her voice heavy with annoyance.

"A Christmas gift, duh," teased Winter, a mischievous smile on her face.

"Yeah, but I didn't have a chance to get you anything! Heck, I didn't even know you were gonna be here! You're so mean, not even giving me a chance to get you a gift!" Weiss complained while her sister laughed.

"Calm down, it's not like I was expecting anything. All this means is that you'll have to get me an awesome birthday gift to even it out" Winter grinned while her sister pouted like an upset kid, "Come on, open it! You're gonna love it … I hope"

Weiss couldn't help but beam, her face lighting up with excitement, exactly like every Christmas, as she started to take open the package.

As the paper dropped to the ground in one large sheet, the tape carefully peeled off, Weiss found herself staring at a small cardboard box. She looked at it for a second, curious, before she tore it open without remorse, the tape didn't stand a shadow of a chance.

The inside of the box was packed to the brim with cd's, and Winter could have sworn she heard her sisters jaw fall to the floor with a thud. She started to look through the cases and found weird and cool artwork, all different bands, styles, and sounds that were just begging to be explored and listened to.

"I was hoping you were still using my cd player, so I figured some new songs would be nice, but I never would have thought you already had your own music store. I hope you don't already have too many of these," Winter sighed, watching as her sister silently went through the discs.

"What do you think?," Winter wondered as she shuffled her feet in place, scratching the back of her head. Without saying a word Weiss set down the box like it was made of glass before walking over and silently wrapping her sister in a hug.

"If you don't like it then-"

"Stop talking. I love you, but please shut up, Win. I love it," explained Weiss happily as Winter stopped fighting and accepted the embrace.

"Oh, there's one in particular I wanted to show you," bubbled Winter as she pulled away, bending down and pulling out cd after cd until she found what she was looking for. In her hands was a case that had a tiger jumping through a ring of fire with dark red text that read, _firewalkers, Endgame! _

"I've been listening to this album nonstop for a few weeks now, and I thought you'd like them. I actually got to see these guys in concert!" beamed Winter as her sister's face grew in shock, before twisting with the littlest hint of jealousy.

"You went to a concert? How was it? Did you meet any cute- uh, people?" Weiss wondered, stumbling on her words at the end.

Winter couldn't help but think back to Qrow, exactly like she did whenever she listened to the Firewalkers.

"It was one of the best nights ever. Make sure you listen to these guys, ok? I wanna hear the thoughts of an expert like yourself"

"If you like them so much then I'm sure they're pretty good. Or terrible. Your cds were really hit or miss by the way," Weiss jokes, poking her sister in the belly.

Winter started to laugh at her dork of a sister, and her sister started to laugh back, their faces full of love and joy. They knew what was coming, but they were ready. After all, they'd already said goodbye once before.

The two melded together into one last hug, one that was warm and gentle, that seemed to fit hours into seconds. The two had soft smiles on their lips as they enjoyed each other's company one last time, at least for now.

"I feel like we've hugged more in the past day then we have in years," chuckled Weiss as she pulled her head away from her sister, only for Winter to pull her right back in.

"We're making up for lost time, ok? Just let your older sister enjoy this," Winter sighed, trying her best to crush her sister's ribs with love.

"Fbime, whabeber," Weiss mumbled into Winters shirt, her words lost in the cotton.

Winter lifted her sister in her arms before spinning her around in the air in circles, laughing as Weiss panicked in her grasp, "Aaaandddd, there! Man, you really got heavy while I was gone," Winter teased as she put her sister down, a little rougher than either would have liked. "Oh, I have one more gift for you actually, don't tell father about it," Winter said as she rummaged around in her backpack, pulling out her journal of secrets and tossing it onto the box of music.

"What's that? Oh god, please tell me it's not some romance book,"

"What? No! Where'd you get that idea, you're way too young for that sort of thing! Just… you'll figure it out quick enough, ok?" Winter shrugged, excited to see what her sister would do with access to the secrets of the manor at her fingertips.

Winter stopped laughing and looked her sister in the eyes, "Alright Weiss, I'm trusting that you're able to take care of yourself here. I know you're smart, but you have to be extra careful around father. If he does anything, tell me and Klein both and get away as fast as you can," There wasn't a hint of humor in Winters voice anymore, she was being dead serious. This wasn't sisterly advice on how to get out of trouble, this was a warning that things might get bad and she had to be ready for it.

Weiss nodded, her face set with determination, "I'll make sure nothing will happen, you can trust me. I can take care of myself, so stop worrying so much," Weiss tried her best to comfort her sister, but Winter shook her head.

"Trust me, I'll be on my deathbed and still be fussing over you, dork. I know you can take care of yourself, but don't be afraid to ask for help,"

"I will if I need it, promise," Weiss agreed.

"Alright, then I guess we shouldn't drag this on any more than we already have," sighed Winter with regret in her voice.

"I know, I know, it sucks saying goodbye," Weiss conceded, knowing what had to be done. "I love you, Winter, I'll see you soon,"

"I love you too, Weiss. Please try and keep out of trouble," Winter smiled, pulling her sister in for one last hug before pulling away and climbing into her car.

It was hard for Winter to turn that key, like her body was fighting against her, and she wasn't sure why. She had to trust her sister and push those feelings aside so they could both move forward.

But She plastered a smile on her face as she put her car in drive, and slowly set off down the manors main drive. Weiss stood there waving, a pained smile on her face as the sisters watched each other fade into the distance. Before Winter knew it, she was on her own again.

Not even a minute down into her journey, Winter maneuvered herself and managed to free her cell phone from her pocket. Her eyes darting between the road and the phone while she made the call.

"Miss Winter, I know I said to call me more, but this is a bit early, don't you think?" Klein wondered in a sarcastic tone.

"Maybe, but I forgot to ask you something important before I left,"

"Oh? And what would that be? Did you want me to fix you up some more food for lunch?" He joked, but Winter couldn't bring herself to even fake a laugh.

"Not this time, Klein. This is important. I know you're already looking after Weiss, but I wanted to make another request. If my father does anything, lays even one hand on my sister… I wanted to ask you as a friend, as a Schnee, as someone who owes you everything… I want you to stop him, no matter what. Even if you have to force him to stop, please, don't let him touch her," Winter begged, her eyes tearing up simply at the thought. Even though she knew Weiss was smart, knew she could look after herself, a little extra muscle never hurt.

There was silence on the other line that dragged on for an eternity, "It's a lot to ask, I know that your job is important, so if-"

"Understood, Miss. He will never lay even a single finger on your sister, and that is a promise," He confirmed, his voice serious and full of conviction. The way Klein was talking now, his tone and his words, it made Winter feel safer than if a full army was by her sisters side.

"Thank you, you have no idea how much that means to me," Winter sniffled, her anxiety finally starting to abandon her.

"Now, if there's nothing else, I have several duties to attend to. Call me again whenever you need," hummed Klein as he hung up the phone, leaving Winter feeling relaxed and sinking into her seat. Winter shut off her phone, tossing it onto the passenger seat without a care, she wouldn't need it for a while.

Winter watched out the window as the scenery passed her by, everything looking a lot crisper and more detailed than when she was driving up. Everything seemed brighter now, like someone had turned on the lights. Winter couldn't help but grin as she turned on the radio to some pop song and cranked the volume to the right. She wasn't sure why, but it felt like her shoulders were a lot lighter than they'd been only a day before.

The drive went a lot faster this time around, with Winter enjoying the sound of the music and the amazing views of Atlas and Vale. it was amazing how little she'd taken in on her other drives, because she saw lots this time that she didn't before. There were so many forests, lakes, small towns, and anything else in between. Plus, singing along to every song on the radio did wonders to pass the time.

Before she knew it she was passing the graveyard on the highway, passing the spot she'd been marooned on her first trip, and was basking in the glow of the city as snow lightly fell down from the heavens.

It was late in the day by the time Winter finally pulled into her apartment building, the red paint and the mold looking a lot more appealing than she'd remembered.

Winter stumbled out of the car, her legs trembling as she stood on her unused legs. Standing in the snowfall, even the broken down buildings surrounding her building looked better. Hey, someone even managed to paint over the graffiti, how about that?

Winter strolled into the building lugging her backpack over her shoulder, her whole body aching. The best thing that helped the pain was the sight of her friendly neighborhood landlord sitting at his desk with his feet kicked up and a brand new crossword puzzle book in his hand.

"Hey Earl, long time no see," Winter gave him a smile, but all he did was write something in his book, not even bothering to look at her.

"Earl? Everything ok?" she asked, walking up to his desk curiously. He was mumbling something under his breath, but it was too quiet for her to hear. "What?"

"I said, what's a six letter word for someone who makes an old man worry about her?" He grumbled, an annoyed look on his face. Winter racked her brain, not sure what he meant… Oh.

"It's Winter, isn't it? I thought you couldn't use names in crossword puzzles?" wondered the girl as Earl sighed and set down his book and turned to look at her.

"Eh, I spent an hour coming up with that line and you don't even appreciate it. Kids these days," he nagged, crossing his arms like a petulant child.

"What? No, it was clever, super clever! I was just a little confused, is all!" the words fumbling out of Winters mouth as she tried her best to make him feel better.

"I might be some grouchy old man, but I still worry when a girl like you doesn't come home without a word. Never know what could happen out there, someone could've snatched you up!" complained Earl, care in his face as his eyes sparkled with affection and worry.

"Sorry, I was having a rough time lately and needed to go and see my sister for a bit to relax. But I promise, if I ever do anything like that again, I'll tell you when I'll be home," She smiled as she watched the tension ease out of his shoulders and a grin grew on his face.

"Well, if you were seein' family, then I guess it's ok. But now that ya promised, you gotta keep it, that's a house rule. Looks like you're feelin' better, ya look a bit more lively today than you've been in weeks," He noted, his smile growing as she felt herself blush.

"Yeah, I guess I am feeling a bit better," sang Winter, feeling like she was walking on air.

"Good. Now, ya should go up and get some sleep, you're wobbling on your feet standing there," chuckled the landlord pointing his pencil to Winter's shaky knees.

"Probably a good idea, see you soon Earl," Winter smiled as she slowly made her way to the elevator. Earl simply nodded to her as he kicked his feet back on his desk and grabbed his book.

Winter slumped against the elevator wall as it started to ascend, her hand on the support bar, trying her best to give her legs a break before the final push. The doors opened on the eighth floor and Winter started to make her way down the hall. She smiled as she passed the painting of the forest fire, happy how it was still creepy and weird.

Her door creaked open slowly and she walked in, excited to finally be home. Looking around, Winter couldn't help but admire the new paint job she'd given the place. Instead of an old blue, the kitchen was now a stunning gray color that brought a lot of life to the space.

Winter dropped her backpack on the old table and stumbled into the living room. A part of her wanted to crash on the couch right then and there, but instead she made a sharp right and headed into the spare bedroom.

For months the spare bedroom had been a dingy gross brown that looked way too close to bruised bananas for Winters liking. But now, it was a pristine white that looked like snow, with light blue dolphins decorating the new door. It had taken Winter days to get rid of the brown, and even more days to get the dolphins looking like something that wasn't out of a horror movie.

Winter sat down on the new twin bed, decorated with new sheets that smelled like flowers, and admired her handiwork. The rest of the apartment still needed work, but this room… Well, it would never get used, but at least it looked nice. Winter thought as her eyes started to Water. She missed her sister, but knew that this was what she wanted, but that didn't stop it from stinging.

Winter sighed as she realized that it was time to call her sister and Klein, and pulled out her phone from her pocket. She turned it on, dropping her head on the pillow and waiting as the way too long startup song played. When it was finally ready, she brought it up to her eyes and noticed something odd, a missed call from Qrow and a voicemail. Winter gulped as she clicked play on the message, scared of what it might say.

"Shit, I was really hoping I'd be able to talk to you. Look, I know you're away right now, but I had to get this off my chest. I'm sorry for losing my temper yesterday. It was wrong, and you didn't deserve it. You're trying your best, and if it's one thing I've learned about you, it's that you really do care for those girls." Winter couldn't help but smile. She hadn't been doing the best job lately, but now… Now she knew what to do and knew how to fix it. But then, he kept talking…

"I care about you too is the thing. Probably too much, honestly. But I don't think we should see each other anymore. The girls said they'd be fine with hanging out with you at your office as long as you don't call it therapy i'm sure they'll be fine. But outside of that, I don't think we should see each other again… It hurts too much to see you, I guess. I shouldn't have kissed you, it was wrong. So don't come to Christmas, please. I'm sorry if this is confusing, but I'll leave you to your work, call me if you wanna talk or anything… See ya," And then there was the click as he hung up, leaving her there lying in shock as she looked up at the ceiling, her brain not even able to think.

Winter wanted to move, but couldn't. She felt all sorts of different emotions start to swirl in her head, anger, sadness, and regret. Winter laid perfectly still on the bed as she felt tears start to fall down her face like rain as she silently moaned and cried for the loss of something she never really had.


	50. Chapter 50

Winter sat on her bed for a long time, weeping like a lost child, replaying the message over and over in her head. The sound of Qrows voice grew more and more twisted and demented as time went on, her mind felt like it was getting torn apart in the chaos. Then, something peculiar happened. She stopped.

The tears came to a halt and her bottom lip stopped its pathetic shivering as she sat up and wiped her face dry. She stood from the bed, flattening out the wrinkles so it was nice and pristine before she left the room, closing the door gently behind her like she was trying not to wake a sleeping child.

She went to the table in the kitchen and started to rummage around in her backpack blindly, her hands guiding her in the darkness of the bag. She felt something crisp and thin, and locked her hands on it, pulling it free from the clutches of the bag. Winter was expecting to see the picture of her mom and Weiss, but felt her smile drop when she found a piece of paper with hastily written scribbles on it.

"Add two teaspoons of honey into the pot, make sure it's warm before you add the milk or you'll get weird dreams? Oh yeah, Amy gave me this," Winter recalled as she read the list from top to bottom.

She put the recipe on the table, her eyes going back to it every few seconds as she shoved her hand back into the bag, which was a lot fuller than she remembered. Thankfully she actually managed to find the picture in her next attempt. "Gotta get a frame for you soon, don't want anything bad happening, eh mom?," the girl said to the picture, carefully placing it on the table before picking the note up again.

"There's no way I have all this in here, right?" Winter wondered aloud, but as she started to look around the kitchen, she kept stumbling upon exactly what she needed, "I think I might actually have all this in stock. Huh, that's a first," She chuckled as she went about the kitchen, grabbing this and that, and following the instructions to a T. She reached into her cupboard in an attempt to grab some cinnamon, but she somehow managed to catch her nail on something, a small chunk of her nail getting cut off, "Guess I need a manicure now," Winter sighed, but a smile grew on her face, a little bit of pampering sounding great for once.

The only side effect of the recipe that Amy had told her about was the weird dream thing, but who knows what the woman might have forgotten? It was a pretty simple recipe, aside from a few odd things like putting cinnamon in the honey and letting it settle to the bottom for some reason, and in no time at all Winter was sitting down on the couch, a warm mug of tea in her hands.

It smelled like a warm summer night filled with fireflies and late night talks. Her tongue danced when she took her first sip. It was sweet, but not like candy, like fresh apples and watermelon mixed with a dash of honey. It reminded Winter of something she might have found at the farmers market with her mom when she managed to sneak her out to one. Even holding the mug brought a sense of peace to her, bringing a sleepy and content smile to her face.

Winter picked up her phone and sent a quick text to Amy, saying thank you and a few other things before she called Weiss and Klein, telling them she'd arrived in one piece. They talked for a while about this and that for a few minutes, but after they were done she tossed the phone on the couch, forgetting about it.

She sipped her tea and relaxed, letting her mind and body get some well deserved rest after weeks of stress and strain slowly tearing her down. She knew there were things to do, problems to fix, but there wasn't exactly a lot she could do at the moment. So, she decided to simply relax and turn on a movie, shutting her brain off for a bit for the first time in too long.

She got about twenty minutes into an animated movie about a girl going into a world where people had buttons for eyes before her own eyes started to weigh her down like cement shoes in a river.

"This stuff really packs a punch," a groggy Winter said as she put her quarter filled cup on the table. After the lights were off, Winter made her way over to her room in the dark, knowing exactly how many steps to take despite the darkness. She made it to the bed, succeeding in only bumping her pinky toe on the wall twice. The sheets were cold, but Winter still wrapped herself up into a tight ball of blankets and pillows, her knees pulled up to her chest. Her warmth was quickly seeping into the covers around her, bringing her fortress to a comfortable temperature rather quickly. The distant noises of city traffic brought a smile to her face as her eyes ever so slowly fell, like a feather riding the winds.

Right as Winer felt peace roll into her mind, there was a screech outside of the window, and Winters eyes fluttered open. "Come on you stupid city, can't a girl get a wink of beauty sleep?" Whined Winter as she slowly emerged from her sphere of blankets. It was the middle of the night, so she'd expected to find the city still half asleep, or at least a little groggy. But when her head finally broke free, she realized that everyone else in the city was already fully awake.

Morning sunlight was already flooding into her room, the cars in the streets below were already zooming at dangerous speeds. Winter crawled out from the blankets and checked the time on her phone, "Wow, twelve-thirty… Maybe this isn't exactly morning sunlight," Admitted Winter as she stretched her arms.

Without any real idea how, Winter had apparently slept through the night. Not only that, but she actually felt refreshed for once! That's a nice change of pace, thought Winter as she opened up her phone.

She saw that Amy had responded, and Winter couldn't help but grin like an idiot. _Sure, I'd love to hangout! I'll meet you downtown at two!_ The fluttery redhead had said. Before she put down her phone, she couldn't help but notice something, the date. It was Christmas eve, and she couldn't help feeling like she was forgetting something.

Winter shrugged, knowing that it would come to her with time. Winter's usual routine was typically a quick and chaotic affair, with her rushing and trying to get out of the door as quickly as possible. Today, she was taking her time. She allowed the warm water to relax and melt away the knots in her muscles that had developed after hours of driving, humming some song she'd heard on the radio the day before.

When it was time to comb her hair Winter didn't attack it in a blind furry for once. Rather, she lovingly combed it out as much as it needed, coaxing the hair loose from any knots that had grown in the night. She couldn't help notice that she really had a lot of knots going on today.

She was about to put her white locks up into her usual bun, but she stopped, letting her hair fall down her back in white waves. She struck some poses in the mirror, giggling as her hair danced with her. She grabbed a hair tie and settled on a simple ponytail for today, happy she didn't have to fight her hair into submission for once and that they'd found peace, at least for now.

She grabbed an apple for breakfast- er, lunch, and headed out the door with a hop in her step. The elevator door popped open quickly after she tapped the button, but she instantly regretted not taking the stairs when the doors moved aside and revealed the tall, lanky frame of Tyrian.

His hands were behind his back, his posture reminding her of a twisted branch as he leaned too far forward. He had a robotically pleasant smile on his face, like he'd spent a little longer in front of the mirror this morning getting it almost right, "Bottom floor, Winter?" He asked her, his eyes never leaving hers.

"Yeah. Thanks, Tyrian," Winter nodded, standing in the back corner of the elevator, as far away as she could.

"Anytime. So, got any plans for Christmas? I half expected you to be visiting family," He wondered, half turning to look at her.

"I did, it was a quick trip." sassed Winter in a spiteful tone. Winter couldn't help but feel guilty as she saw the hurt grow in his eyes. He turned away from her, clearly done with the conversation. Maybe I was a bit defensive? She wondered to herself, questioning if she should say something else.

Winters eyes widened as she realized what she'd forgotten earlier.

"I actually have a work party tonight," Winter admitted, she didn't say it for him, but more because she was scared that if she didn't say anything about her plans, the idea might scamper off again and she'd lose it again.

"Really? That sounds fun. Is it being held anywhere interesting?" the tall man questioned, seemingly half interested at this point.

"Not really, it's gonna be at some banquet hall uptown. It's got an open bar and free food at least," Winter shrugged, thinking about if she should be going. "What about you?"

"Oh, I'm staying in tonight, probably watching a few movies. I believe this is our stop," Tyrian remarked as the doors opened to the ground floor of the building. He stepped out and took out his phone, walking slowly towards the exit.

Winter took a sharp left and grinned at Earl, "I might be back a bit late tonight, so don't lose sleep over me, ok?" She told him warmly, watching him write something in his book.

"Thank ya, was that so hard?" He told her as he looked up from his book with a smile on his face. "Have fun,"

"I'll try," She hummed as she walked away, quickly over taking Tyrian and getting out the front door before him. She walked happily to her car, excited to be on her way to meet her friend.

The drive was quick, and Winter somehow managed to arrive on time. Normally, that would be a good thing, but when it came to Amy… Well, it was best to show up late when you made plans with her, that way you wouldn't be left waiting for so long.

Despite the snow and the ground and the nip in the air, there were swaths of people in the street. Many had bags in their hands, doing last minute Christmas shopping. Maybe this wasn't the best day for hanging out downtown?

Winter stood as far out of the way of the crowds as she could. Her heart beating slightly harder than normal as she watched the crowds of people more like one large, intimidating organism.

"Boo!" Someone shouted in Winter's ear, making her jump about a foot in the air.

"**Son of a B!**" Winter yelped in shock, getting the attention of just about everyone that was walking on the sidewalk. Winter turned around and saw Amy on her knees laughing so hard she could barely get a breath in. "Amy! Why!" fretted Winter, her hand on her chest as she tried to catch the breath that had ran away from her lungs in terror.

"Y-Your f-f-face! Too good! Had to!" Was all the poor girl managed to squeak out between laughs, tears rolling down her face.

"Ya know, you're really lucky you're my best friend, or I might actually be angry at you" Winter sighed as she reached down and helped the girl back to her feet. Winter stood with her arms crossed over her chest, a sour expression on her face as she waited way too long for Amy to get down from her high, her laughs slowing down before they picked right back up again. It took awhile, but eventually her laughter petered out into giggles, before they turned into simple chuckles.

"Hehe… So funny. Oh, look at you! You're looking so much better!" Amy beamed as she reached out and squished Winters face with her hands, moving Winters head to get a look from the best angles. "You have so much more color on your checks, and you look so lively!"

"Maybe that has something to do with you yelling in my ear and scaring me?" Winter said sarcastically, but she felt a smidge of pride from the loving words.

"Nope! You're doing better, I can tell" Amy cheered as she reached out and gave the white haired girl a quick hug. "You even called me out here to help you shop for tonight, I'm so proud" The red head bubbled as she pulled away.

"Wait, what? I just wanted to hangout a little bit," pipped Winter, as Amy's face grew confused.

"You mean you didn't wanna go clothes shopping for the party?"

"Not really. I mean, I wasn't even sure if I'm going" Winter admitted, shuffling from one foot to the other.

"Of course you're going," Amy told her straight faced, "You promised me you were going if you were back in town, and here you are" She smiled, gesturing at Winter.

"I… Ugh, I guess I did promise, didn't I? Fine, I'll go. But only for a little bit, I have some stuff I need to take care of tonight," Winter relented as Amy jumped in the air and pounded her fist in victory. Then, the red head stopped and looked at Winter with a tilted head.

"Actually, why are you back in town? From the way you were speaking it sounded like you were gonna be gone for awhile,"

Winter couldn't help but deflate a bit. This was the whole reason for bringing Amy out here, but it felt so awkward just talking about all of her issues. But, she needed to talk about them.

"Wanna hear a story while we shop?" Winter suggested, and like that the two set off into the crowd of people while Winter told Amy everything. And Winter did tell her everything.

The two of them stuck close by each other in the crowds, Winters voice loud so her friend could hear her. When they were in stores, Winter talked in hushed whispers so last minute Christmas shoppers couldn't snoop and hear what was being said.

Winter didn't simply tell Amy about why she was back early, she told her about why she left in the first place. Not only why she left the city, but Atlas too. It was a long story, but when Winter started telling it, she couldn't stop. She told Amy about how she got stranded, saved, about her time with Qrow and the girls, her feelings and thoughts. Then, Winter told Amy about how she messed up. How she'd broken his heart and ran away, how he'd left that message and destroyed her, if only for a moment.

Amy stood quietly as Winter told her story, only interrupting to ask the occasional question or to comment on a dress that Winter was trying on. She'd heard some of it already, but never in this much detail, but she still listened and nodded along anyway. The story came to an end after all the shopping was done, and the two girls were sitting in a restaurant with bags at their feet. Amy sat there, thinking.

"I wish I knew what to say. Your dad's a total dick, that's for sure," Amy finally said before shoving a huge fork full of spaghetti into her mouth.

"Trust me, I know," Winter chuckled as she took a bite of her sandwich.

"No, I'm not sure if you really get it. Or, I guess I don't know how big of a deal this is. Your dad hit you, screamed his head off, was about to ship you away, and forced you to run away! Not to mention how he basically manipulated you for your whole childhood and treated you like a tool!" condemned Amy, her voice rising as her anger bubbled over like Winter had never seen before. "Prick!" That last comment made a few people turn their way.

"Amy calm down, the past is the past, no point in obsessing over it," Winter tried to soothe her friend's anger, but Amy didn't seem done yet.

"Maybe there's no point in you obsessing over it, but I'm still gonna get mad! This guy messed with my best friend, and that's not something someone should get away with!" Winters heart skipped a beat as the words her friend spoke settled in, and a smile crawled up her face.

"Thanks for being mad for me," thanked Winter, her smile starting to work magic on Amy. Amy's rage shrank like turning down the gas of a stove, the fire shrank, but didn't go away.

"You're sure you're not the secretary right? Because sometimes you really are dense," Amy grumbled as she crossed her arms, but Winter just kept smiling. "If he ever comes near you again, text me. I'll make sure he goes packing right back to Atlas," Amy huffed as she leaned back in her chair and took another bite of her food.

Winter had spent a long time being mad, and she still was, but now she simply wanted to live her own life. As long as Weiss was safe with Klein, everything would be ok.

"What do you think you're gonna do about Qrow? Are you just… done?" Amy questioned, trying her best to phrase the question in a way that wouldn't sound insensitive.

Winter looked up, and suddenly her sparkling eyes that normally looked like a carefree ocean looked like a hardened glacier. Maybe she'd picked up some of that Schnee spirit her father always blabbered on about, or maybe she was finally ready to fight for once.

"I'm not done, not by a longshot. When I first heard his message, I thought that everything was over, and that there wasn't anything for me to do. Then, I thought about it. I messed up and really hurt him, but I can ask him to forgive me. I can try. So that's what I'm gonna do. After the party tonight, I'm gonna go over to his house, explain myself, and then beg him to forgive me, on my hands and knees if I have to. Even if he doesn't wanna date or anything after this, I at least still want to be friends. My lifes so much better with him and those girls in it, I don't think I could stand it without them," Winter laughed as she took a bite of her food with a wide grin on her face.

"Aren't you scared?" A concerned Amy asked her, leaning towards her with an awed expression.

"Utterly terrified," Winter chuckled, "But I still have to do all I can and try my best, anything past that I can't really change, so I shouldn't worry about. I guess that's how I'm thinking about it at least," Winter explained as she tapped her chin in thought. She was scared, but she couldn't really see herself not talking to Qrow tonight. She simply had to.

"Wow, that's… That's really mature. Ok, maybe you are a psychologist after all. Did you bump your head while you were gone or something?" Amy questioned as she really started to dig into her food, making Winter chuckle.

"I hope not, otherwise I won't be able to go to the party tonight. Which would just be, like, the wooorst," said Winter sarcastically with a wink. "Really, I'm not sure what happened. I went home and talked to Weiss, and everything sort of fell into place in my mind. I think now that I've stopped thinking about home and Weiss so much I can finally start living a bit more in the moment, ya know?"

"I think I get it. Like you have a lot less weight on your shoulders and can finally relax?"

"Exactly! That's a good way to put it!" Winter said with her mouth half full of sandwich as she pointed at Amy.

"Are you sure you wanna go to the party then? Because you really do have some important stuff to do tonight, don't feel like you have to go because of me, we can go drinking any night," Amy shrugged, her food finally gone. Winter shook her head as she finished chewing her last bite.

"No, I wanna go. I don't really wanna miss hanging out with everyone at work because of a guy. I'll stay for a bit, have some fun, maybe have a little, _little_, bit of liquid courage before going to see him," Winter grinned, not realizing until she said it how true it was. She did wanna hangout with everyone from work, to relax a little and spend time with her friends.

"Fair enough, we'll keep it to five shots,"

"Amy!" Winter laughed.

"Fine, you win… Three"

"One, at best. We can save the other ones for another night," Winter admitted as she fished out her wallet.

"Fiiiine, always such a spoilsport," joked Amy, "Just so you know, that guy better say yes to you or I'm gonna kick his butt. Maybe I should start a list of guys I should keep a look out for or something," Amy considered as she grabbed her own money. "What do you wanna do now? We have a few hours till the party,"

Winter gulped, suddenly nervous. "Well, if you wanted, we could go to my place. I was hoping you could do my makeup," Winter stuttered, looking away from the redhead.

Amys mouth was wide open as she gaped at the girl. Then she stood up and threw enough money on the table to cover their bills and a good tip, grabbed Winters hand and their bags off the floor, before rushing to the door.

"Amy, what's wrong?" Winter asked as her arm was being harshly pulled.

"What's wrong? What's wrong? I'm gonna get you looking so good that a princess would get jealous and I only have a few hours to do it, that's what's wrong! Come on, you're driving!" The red head ordered warmly as she dragged Winter down the road.

"Yes, Ma'am!" Winter saluted with her free hand, happy to point out the directions to her car. Winter let out a big belly laugh as she was dragged. Here she was, getting dragged in the middle of a huge city with tons of people all around her by her best friend, who wasn't her sister. About to go to a party and then about to confess her feelings to someone she's liked for months. It was scary and daunting, her heart was beating hard as she thought about what exactly she was going to do tonight. She had no idea how anything would go, and that thought was terrifying.

But Winter couldn't help but feel excited. Her life at the manor was so boring, with her only ray of life being Weiss. Now here she was, terrified of what her night was going to bring! She had no clue why, but something about all this just seemed so fun!

**-authors note-**

**Ok, so we're actually getting pretty close to the end now! I'd say anywhere between 6-8 more chapters and this story will come to an end, but don't quote me on that please! I hope everyone's enjoying how the story had been going lately, if not, tell me why please. I wanna get better as a writer, and comments really help! I hope everyone has a great week!**


	51. Chapter 51

It was an odd feeling watching Amy stroll around inside of her apartment, or to see anyone walk around in it at all. For the past six months these walls had been a place of frigid isolation and calming solitude for Winter. But having the red head gawk, amazed, at every little thing felt nice, and made Winter feel warm.

"Your view is so great!" Amy cheered from Winter's room, her face pushed against the window that looked out onto the snowy outline of the city.

"You think?" Winter asked sheepishly, a blush going up her face at the compliment.

"Duh! My view makes it seem like the city is a thousand miles away on a good day. But lucky me, today all I got to see was a big cloud of snow," Amy joked as she pulled away from the window, dashing out of Winter's room. As she ran, Amy's eyes trailed behind her, sticking to everything they saw for an extra moment or two while they took in all the detail.

Winter toured Amy around the rooms, which shouldn't have taken long considering there were only four and a half, but Amy always lingered and enjoyed herself. She'd looked through all of the movies that Winter had left on her tv stand, gabbing on and on about each of them and what she thought about them.

Before long, the two of them were sitting on Winter's bed talking lightly as Amy worked her magic. They talked softly about this and that as the brushes danced on Winters skin was a lot of laughter in the air from Amy, while Winter only managed a few short giggles before the makeup master, as she liked to be called, chastised her for moving too much.

After her makeup was done, Winter was going to get into her brand new dress, while Amy went to doll herself up with makeup of her own. "Whatever you do, don't let that dress touch your face. Don't want you looking smudged for later tonight," Amy warned with a wink as she disappeared in the bathroom, the old door creaking loudly as it closed.

Winter nervously grabbed the bag off the floor, sighing as she pulled out her new dress. It had been expensive, maybe a bit too much so, but Winter had taken one look at herself at the store and bought it on impulse, which she hoped wouldn't become a trend later on down the line.

She stripped down before she slipped the dress over herself, the dress gliding down her skin like chilled water as it moved and swayed down her body.

As Amy came out of the bathroom, her makeup looking simple yet dazzling, her jaw dropped. "What?" Winter asked, concerned at the sudden reaction.

"Nothing, I just… That dress suits you really well," Amy grinned, "Plus my makeup looks amazing, as promised," Pride beaming off of her face. "Go take a look at yourself!" Amy ordered, walking over and pulling Winter into the bathroom.

"We really have to talk about how much you drag me… Around…" Winter mumbled, her words slowing like molasses before stopping completely as she gazed at the mythical figure standing in front of her.

The dress was a solid light blue with white accents that made her eyes pop and shine like stars, while her hair seemed more like falling snow than ever before. The dress clung to her body in all the right ways down to her hips, where it loosened up a little and gave her some motion. It wasn't loose, showing off the shape of her legs enough to leave some work for the imagination. It only went half way down her legs before it ended, showing off her long, elegant legs like nothing else she'd ever worn.

Her makeup helped bring everything together perfectly, bringing a hint of color to Winter's pale skin. Her eyelashes were long, black, and graceful, and her eye shadow made her look mysterious but also enchanting like some sort of witch. There were also a few hints of sparkles on her skin, making her look even more magical. Her pony tail, spilling down her back, was immaculate and made her look like something out of a fairy tail.

"Wow…" Winter whispered as she swayed slowly, scared if she moved too fast that the reflection would shatter to pieces, and reveal that this would be some kind of fantasy. But no, those eyes shining like blue pearls faithfully followed her every move.

"Yeah, I'd say wow is a pretty good word to use right now. Let's hope that your boy toy has the same reaction," Amy half joked as she looked at Winters reflection with her, satisfied and happy for her friend.

Amy looked at her phone, her eyes growing wide, "Dang, look at how time flies," Amy chuckled as she started pushing Winter out of the bathroom, rushing her to get ready, "If we're late James' never gonna let me live it down! _So you don't even show up to the parties on time?_ Ugh, I can hear him now," Amy complained as she shoved her feet into a set of shoes.

As Winter reached out to open the front door, Amys own hand shot out and grabbed her wrist, "What happened to your nail!" Amy cried, inspecting the damaged nail tip with horror.

"Oh, I chipped it yesterday. It's not a big-"

"Here, take my nail file and work your nails on the way," Amy told her, shoving a long metal nail file that led to a sharp point in her hand. Amy flung the door open after that, storming past Winter, "Come on, we're not gonna be late tonight!" Amy cried like a warrior riding into battle.

They were late. The snow was starting to fall heavier than before as Winter drove, forcing their progress to a crawl. The parking lot was filled to the brim with people by the time they got there, a lot more than Winter figured there'd be, and it made her a little nervous. Someone was even parking right now, just a few spots down from them for Pete's sake!

The banquet hall was a large building, with high walls that led into a small dome at the top of the building. In Front of the building was a small set of freshly shoveled stone steps leading the way inside.

The girls climbed out of the car and ran to the door, their heels sinking in the snow with every step. They opened the door a crack before the wind flung it open with reckless abandon, slamming it into the wall inside the building with a loud crash. Everyone in the hall turned to look at the two girls at once, and all the conversations stopped at once.

There were at least a hundred people standing around in beautiful dresses and suits, most with champagne glasses in hand. They stared and stared while Amy and Winter worked together to get the door closed against the wind, making Winter's pale face heat up. If she hadn't been wearing makeup, she certainly would've been beet red, but she wasn't sure if it would be from exhaustion or embarrassment.

After the door was closed, the girls turned and saw everyone still looking at them. More specifically, they were looking at Winter. She saw everyone's eyes move up and down her body, admiringly, and it made her feel flattered but very nervous.

Then there was the deep sound of a heavy shoe hitting the ground, over and over, before stopping right in front of the girls "Winter, Amy, how good of you to join us," The deep and calming voice of Dr. Ironwood said to them. He had spoken softly, but his voice had carried throughout the entire room like the boom of thunder. It was like someone had turned the keys of a car, the engine of conversation came rushing back louder than ever as everyone turned away, embarrassed.

Dr. Ironwood was looking dashing in his suit, a very fine black suit that went well with his jet black hair and eyes. His posture was as perfect as ever with his hands behind his back, and he looked exactly like she expected. Well, except for the red bow-tie that had small green mistletoe dotted around it.

"Hey, James, how's it going? Did you see the way everyone was staring at Winter? It was crazy!" Amy was trying her best to whisper, so the crowds around them couldn't hear, but she was talking about as loud as everyone else with how excited she was.

"Hopefully not everyone was staring," came a distant voice that sounded oddly familiar. There was the soft clicking of heels coming closer, exactly like Dr. Ironwood had just done. But instead of a tall overwhelming man, there was a small, yet striking woman with blonde hair standing there. She had sharp glasses on that matched her thin grin perfectly, and her tight red dress even more so. She looked familiar, but Winter couldn't-

"Glynda! What're you doing here!" Winter almost shouted out her realization, getting another few looks that weren't exactly for her looks.

Glynda's grin dropped, and she looked curiously at Winter, "I always come to the Christmas party, who'd pass up on an open bar and free food?" She said warily, watching as Winter shook her head.

"No, I mean why are you here? Like, at this event?" Winter hadn't seen Glynda in months, so it was more than a little bit jarring to see the woman here now. It was sort of like seeing a flower in the middle of a desert. It was really cool to see it! But you can't help but wonder how it got there.

"To make sure my dope of a husband actually does his job and talks to everyone instead of just his favorites," Glynda chuckled villainously at what she'd said, but only one part of her sentence actually stuck with the white haired woman.

"Husband? He works here? Who?" Winter stammered, her mind racing but also completely blank as she looked around the room for someone she might recognize.

Glynda started to laugh, but put a hand over her mouth as she watched Winters eyes scramble. Winter didn't even notice how Glynda turned to Dr. Ironwood, who was sulking. "Why the long face, James?" Glynda wondered, her giggles trickling out like water from an old damn that was about to burst open.

"She looked right past me, like I wasn't even an option for you…" The tall man sighed in despair, his head falling slightly as his posture fell for a moment.

"Huh?" faltered Winter, her eyes falling on Dr. Ironwood. Then, her eyes moved to Glynda who had a shimmer in her eyes that Winter had never seen from the woman before. Glynda reached out and lovingly took Dr. Ironwoods hand in her own, softly rubbing her thumb against the back of his hand as her expression grew softer, "It's ok, that just means you married up," She smiled, there wasn't a bite to her words, but there was a nip, which was exactly what he needed apparently.

"So that means you married down? That's something I can live with then," He chuckled lightly as he looked down at the woman, whose mouth was gaping open at him in shock.

"That's the last time I'm ever nice to you," Glynda gasped, but Winter could see the hint of a smile on her face from a mile away.

"So, uh, you two are… A thing?" questioned Winter, her eyes drinking in the look and grin the couple shared before answering.

"Somehow," Glynda said.

"We've been married about ten years, dated for a long time before that," Dr. Ironwood explained happily, but Glynda glared at him.

"I'm sure he knows when we started dating, don't you, hun?" She smiled, probably hoping to watch him struggle.

"We started dating in June, when I was twenty and she was nineteen. I was on leave from the army and met her at the ice cream shop she was working at. We wrote letters almost every day to each other after I left, and the rest is history," As he told the story, Winter could see the warm memories in his eyes and the way his smile seemed to light up talking about it.

Glynda on the other hand seemed to melt at his words, her grin replaced with a dreamy smile as she looked up at her husband. When he finished she looked at her with a pleased expression. She didn't say anything, simply reached up and put her hand against his cheek and pulled his face down a few inches so she could place a quick kiss on his cheek.

"Ok, I'll be nice to you again," She sighed contentedly as she let him go, watching as he rose to his full height once again.

Winters heart floated as she watched the couple share looks, almost like they were communicating with some silent language that nobody else in the room could understand. It made her feel a little jealous if she was being honest.

There was one thing from that story that was bit odd though, "What do you mean you were on leave?" Winter wondered, confused. Dr. Ironwood looked at her like he'd never seen her before.

"You mean you don't know? I figured Amy or someone would've told you by now. I was in the military for a long time before I became a psychologist. I'd like to think I was quite good at it as well," He smiled, glad to share the story.

"No, she most definitely didn't tell me that," Winter said through partly gritted teeth, turning and giving Amy an annoyed glare.

That's when something in the back of Winters mind clicked, and she realized that there was something she needed to share with Dr. Ironwood told her. He was her boss, and had taken her under his wing, and if she was going to put everything on the line, he had a right to know. Who knew, maybe there was a way all this would work out? Or maybe she should think about updating her resume.

"D-Dr. Ironwood, could I talk to you for a second? Privately?" Winter sputtered, her voice sounding about as confident as Jaune when he'd first walked through her doors. Dr. Ironwood looked at her curiously, before nodding with a thin smile.

"Always. We might be awhile, Glynda, you should probably see how Ken is doing, you know, from Vacuo? Ask him about the new office, you know how… detailed, he likes to get," He nodded to her, as she scowled back at him.

"Anything for you, love," She growled, hands on her hips. The evil only lasted a second before she dropped her arms and looked calm again,, "Can you bring me back a drink? I think I'm gonna need it after dealing with him," She asked, her face turning sour thinking about the conversation she was about to undertake.

" One strawberry daiquiri coming right up. Come on, Winter, this way," He turned and started walking into the crowd towards the back of the hall without waiting.

She turned to Amy, who was already deep in conversation with some well dressed man, giggling with a drink in her hand. Amy's eyes left the man for a moment and found Winters, the red headed nodded at her with a smile, turning back to the man who was laughing like a hyena over nothing.

Winter walked away from Glynda, who was smiling at her like she knew something that Winter didn't. Dr. Ironwood was far ahead, but his height left him half a head over everyone around him, so he was pretty easy to follow.

As she followed, she couldn't help it as her eyes danced around the hall for the first time. It was a wide open hall that was softly lit by yellow lights on the wall and a large chandelier hanging in the center of the room. There were maybe twenty large round tables covered in silky white cloths, exactly the same as Winter had always seen at parties like this with her father.

Along one of the walls was a long row of food sitting in sparkling silver containers being served by smiling chefs draped in white. There was fish that looked so fresh it must have been swimming hours ago, steak that looked beautifully pink, fruits, salad, rice, and a rainbow of different foods from all over.

On the other wall was the bar. It was a small station that only had two women running it, but they were really running. The line was about fifteen people long and getting longer by the second, and the bar tenders had to move like dancers around each other to get everyone served quickly. There was also a large wooden dance floor where there were plenty of people flailing around in ways they probably thought were dance moves.

The last thing Winter noticed was how when she would walk by tables with people eating, everyone would drop their forks, stop their conversations, and their eyes would get pulled to her like she was magnetic. Not only men, but women and children too. It made Winter think she was doing something wrong, like maybe she was walking funny or had a stray squirrel crawling around her hair. But it wasn't shock or disgust on their faces, it was awe and wonder. Winter didn't know how to feel about that, all she knew was that she was blushing like mad. _Is this what looking like a princess felt like? _Winter thought giddily.

Dr. Ironwood led her to the back of the hall where there were a set of doors that led back into the kitchens. He walked right into the kitchens, his charming smile on full display as he walked past cooks on the line who didn't pay him any mind. Winter followed, staying on his heels as best she could as he walked further and further into the kitchen.

He took a left and walked out a door that Winter hadn't even noticed, a cool breeze invading the kitchen as he left the building. Winter stumbled after him, looking over her shoulder expecting someone with a large hat and a rolling pin to come charging over at her screaming in french. But nobody came, so she snuck out the door after her boss.

As soon as she stepped outside, two young men came walking in, the smell of cigarette smoke clinging to their clothes, making her gag. She was standing in a thin alley that was lit by a single street lamp that made everything look colorless in the night. Dr. Ironwood was standing tall, gazing down the alley with a wistful look on his face.

The wind had been biting and frigid when she'd entered the building, but in the alley it was soft and nibbled on her ears in a kind sort of way, making her smile. Winter waited for him to start the conversation, like he always did, before she remembered that she was the one who'd asked him to talk.

"There sure are a lot of people in there," Winter nervously said, it was the first thing that had come to her mind to fill the silence.

"That's one thing I probably should've told you sooner. This isn't exactly an office party, it's more like this is where we say thank you to our donors. Which, as you can see, we're in no shortage of thankfully," He chuckled deeply, turning around to meet her gaze.

"Donors? For what?" Winter questioned. She'd been working with Dr. Ironwood for a long time, but she didn't know about anything that they'd need donors for…

"I suppose you wouldn't know about that yet. Our office mainly does therapy work, but the company also deals with things like social work, homeless shelters, schools, and things like that. Basically, if we can help people, we help. A lot of things like that need donations, which everyone in there is more than happy to do," he explained, pride on his face as he looked at the banquet hall.

"I thought you owned the company?" Winter asked, confused.

"Half of it. The other half belongs to my beautiful wife. Who, I believe you met at her ice cream shop?" He said, already knowing the answer.

"Wow, Glynda really does a lot, doesn't she?"

"Indeed she does. Best business woman I've ever met. It doesn't hurt that she has a heart of pure gold," he chuckled, his eyes glimmering. "Enough about me and this boring party, what did you wanna talk about? Or was the number of guests really all you wanted to know about?"

Winter felt her voice get caught in her throat, and she almost felt herself choke on it. She coughed into her hand, her heart hammering in her chest, "I wanted to know, if I wanted to-"

"Stop." He said suddenly, his voice was level and calm as he held a finger up in the air.

"W-what?" Winter asked, frightened she'd done something wrong before even starting the conversation. Maybe he already knew?

"I'm your boss, but I'm also your mentor, and a friend. So listen when I tell you, always talk in hypotheticals with your boss. That keeps us both safe. Apologies for interrupting, please go on," He dropped his finger, his eyes meeting hers and giving her his full attention.

She coughed again. "So- um, hypothetically, if I started to have… Romantic feelings for my patient's guardian, and… And I wanted to pursue that. Romantically. Would I have to quit my job?" Winter looked down at her hands and saw that they were trembling horribly. She stuck her fingers together, her thumbs twiddling around each other. That helped for a second, until the tremors moved up her arms, and her shoulders were trembling.

Dr. Ironwood started to pace around the alley, his hand on his chin in deep thought. He mumbled near silently to himself, and Winter couldn't make out any of it. This went on for a few minutes, in which time the tremors had spread to Winters knees as well as her shoulders. She thought walking might help, but a part of her didn't want to hit Dr. Ironwood. Another part of her was convinced if she even took a step right now she'd be sick.

He stopped in front of her, facing the alley, and dropped his hand away from his jaw, but he didn't speak yet. He looked over at her, looked her deep in the eyes, and turned back to the alley.

"Hypothetically speaking, there's only really one option. Two if you count you quitting, I'd rather avoid that. The only thing you can really do is give them up as patients. You can still see them if the guardian says it's ok, but you can't counsel them," He explained sadly, but he still looked like he was wracking his brain for another answer.

"Oh… Is- Is that really the only way?" Winter quietly asked, her heart starting to splinter at the idea of losing those girls as patients. The worst part was, they'd never talk to another therapist, no matter how much help they'd get from it.

Dr. Ironwood looked at her, his face was hard, like he was about to say something he shouldn't. "The most important thing is those girls and their well being. But they're special cases, and they've been through a lot… I'd be willing to give you some time to convince them to see another therapist. But after that, you need to stop seeing them professionally. Normally I wouldn't do this, but they need it,"

"This also isn't a long term solution. It's a patch job. Get them comfortable with the idea of therapy, and then hand them off to someone who isn't in danger. Do you get what I'm saying?" He asked, turning to her and staring her down with his hard black eyes. They were warning her.

Winter thought about it, what was she going to do, "I understand. I'll do my best to help them get used to it, and as soon as they can… Well, I guess they'll need someone else," Winter said sadly. She didn't wanna lose them as patients, but if everything went well, then maybe she'd be able to help them a bit closer to home.

Dr. Ironwood looked pleased. He reached out a hand and touched her shoulder, which had apparently stopped shaking while she'd been talking.

"Good. Whatever happens, please be careful and make sure to think of those girls first. They've been through enough, and don't need to lose anyone else. I want you to know, you deserve to be happy, and I wish you luck," he said brightly, lightly pulling her into a one armed hug which she melted into.

She was sure to keep her face smudge free as she leaned in for the hug that warmed her very soul. In an instant, he was leaning away, taking his hand away and putting it behind his back.

For a brief second, Winter wondered how he knew so much about the girls and Qrow without her saying anything. But then again, he was her boss and there was no way he hadn't read their file when he let her have the case.

"Why don't we go back inside? I think a drink sounds very good right about now," He chuckled, gesturing for Winter to head in first.

"Let's go find Amy then, because I promised I'd do a shot with her, might as well get it out of the way" Winter smiled, her hand on the door back inside. But she stopped, and turned to Dr. Ironwood who was looking at her curiously. "Thanks. For everything, not just this. You don't-. Just, thank you… James," Winter quietly said, a blush rising up her face that made her almost miss getting gawked at by the whole banquet hall earlier.

James' mouth was hanging open for a second, but he closed it swiftly, a small smile on his face, "I think that would be good, soon to be, Dr. Schnee,"

Winter beamed as she threw open the door, all of her anxieties were gone. She didn't care about walking through the kitchen anymore. She was going to have some fun with her friends, and then, in a few hours, after she'd had the perfect amount to drink… She'd go to Qrow and tell him how she really felt.

Winter opened the door that led to the ballroom, took two steps, and promptly walked face first into someone who felt like a brick wall. Winter bounced off of him and was stunned for a second, shaking her head to clear her vision of stars, "I'm so sorry about that, here let me-" But her voice vanished as she looked up and saw, "Qrow!"

**-Authors note-**

**This was a bit of a long chapter and I don't think they'll be this long from now on, but there might be. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, as always, please leave a comment if you want or have time, always appreciated! Have a great week, and stay safe!**


	52. Chapter 52

Winters heart was running wild in her chest as she looked up at Qrow, her excitement and anxiety were swirling together, making her feel like she was about to be sick. She took a step back, and almost ran into James who was standing right behind her, trapping her between the two men.

Qrow was wearing a pair of black dress pants and a white dress shirt that managed to only have a few wrinkles in it here and there, like he'd pulled it out of the closet and hadn't bothered to iron it out. His tie was black and loose around his neck, and Winter got the impression it had been like that the whole night. His hair was combed back and slick, not looking stiff or having that weird looking sheen that always came with hair gel. His face was also clean shaved so his jaw stood out a bit more than normal.

He didn't even seem to notice the impact as he stood there lazily, some carbonated drink in his hand. His eyes were looking out into the crowd of people when she ran into him, but his eyes quickly darted her direction after the hit. He turned to her with a smile on his face, ready to apologize, but then he seemed to realize exactly who'd hit him, and his eyes got wide.

He didn't gawk like everyone else, but she saw the way his eyes moved up and down her body, and it sent warm shivers down her spine. His look didn't last, quickly turning calm with a smile that only looked a little forced.

"Hey, Win," he said calmly before taping a sip of his drink.

"Uh-H-Hey," Winter stuttered out, even that simple word was a mess in her mouth. She wanted to say more, but all that confidence and bravado she'd had not two minutes ago? Gone. Never to be seen again.

Qrow looked at her and opened his mouth, about to say something else. But nothing came out for him either. He looked at her with an odd expression, his mind apparently as blank as hers. That's when his eyes moved above her head and saw James standing behind her, "Jimmy, what the hell? You said-" Qrow stopped suddenly to cast a glance Winters way before continuing, "You said it would be ok if I came," He said through gritted teeth. He wasn't mad, Winter could spot from a mile away when Qrow was mad, but he was getting pretty damn annoyed for some reason.

"You're always welcome, Qrow, you know that. What're you drinking? It better not be-" But Qrow gave him a look that told him to stop talking as he held up his bubbly drink.

"Jimmy, it's pop. Calm down. You know I don't drink," Qrow sighed, like he'd had this same conversation a thousand times and had reached his limit. "And you know that's not what I mean,," Qrow bickered, still talking over Winter like she wasn't even there.

"You two know each other?" Winter asked either of them, fed up with being ignored and confused at what exactly was going on.

Qrow shrugged and took a sip of his drink. Jimmy couldn't help but laugh slowly and deeply for some reason. "I can't believe you never told her, Qrow. I was sure that would've been the first thing out of your mouth when you found out she worked with me," He laughed, but Winter still had no clue what was so funny.

"It never came up. Besides, isn't the boss supposed to tell their workers about stuff like this? You are the boss at your office, right? Or is that Glynda too?" Qrow wondered, honestly not sure apparently.

"We take turns, or that's what she says at least," James smiled, his eyes light as he talked with Qrow. "But to answer your question, Winter, yes, we know each other. I won him in a game of poker. Well, lost. How would you describe it, Qrow?"

"You lost the hand and I lost my dignity," Qrow sighed as he looked longingly at the drink in his hand, probably wishing it was something stronger about now.

"Not a bad way to put it, but I think I'd better explain. Back when I was in the military, me and another general were complaining about some of our new recruits. He said his was the worst, always causing fights, drinking, not taking anything seriously. I thought I had someone who was worse, so we decided to play a game of poker. Loser gets both of the recruits. And as you can see, I lost, and got Qrow. Best game of poker I've ever lost! You still have that photo somewhere, don't you, Qrow? The one where you're holding the cards?"

"I think I burned it a couple years back. Sorry, Jimmy," scowled Qrow, a wicked smile on his face.

Winter held in a laugh, knowing he was lying right through his teeth. She'd seen that very picture framed in his bedroom. Actually, it was the only picture he had in his bedroom at all.

"You guys know each other, and neither of you told me? Are you guys serious?" Winter growled, "Wait, does this mean you know the girls?" Winter turned and asked James.

Winter expected another gleeful laugh, but James' face was downcast and his eyes looked like he'd lost all of his spirit, "Yes, I know them. A few years ago, after their parents had passed, it was one of my doctors, Dr. Lionheart, that gave them their psychological review…"

"Lionheart? Isn't he…" She turned to look at Qrow, who was looking down at the ground taking a slow sip of his drink, looking as miserable as James was.

Lionheart was the man who'd made the girls hate therapy, who told them that their abuses were all in their imaginations. He was the one who forced them to go with Raven.

Winters hands were fists, and she had to take a deep breath to stay calm. She was furious, and wanted to give Dr. Ironwood a piece of her mind! But then, she took a look at him.

It looked like tears could roll down his face at any moment, guilt was clinging to him and she knew he'd probably never forgive himself for letting something so terrible happen.

"He was the reason they were abused, and I take responsibility for that, whatever that means. Trust me, he won't be getting a job in this city ever again if I have anything to say about it," he seethed, his anger at the man showing through. It was the first time Winter had seen him getting anywhere close to angry. He must have been terrifying to watch him fire Lionheart.

Qrow took a step to the side, standing right next to Winter, and put his hand on James' shoulder, squeezing it tight, "It's all in the past, Jimmy. Can't worry about what you can't change. They're doing great now, I haven't seen them this happy in years. So just… Lighten up, ok?" Qrow pleaded, a sad smile on his face as he watched his friend suffer. James looked like he might ignore his friend's advice, but he nodded, and Winter could see him relax as he stood back up.

"As long as the girls are doing ok, that's all that matters," He said, smiling softly to Qrow.

"Where are the girls by the way? I have the feeling that Ruby's somewhere making a fort" Winter said smiling, excitedly looking around for a girl in red making a scene somewhere.

"Nah, they hate coming to this thing. They say it's too stuffy here for them, way too many people in suits. They're at home, torturing Maria," He explained, bringing equal parts relief and sadness to Winter's heart.

"That's good. I'm sure they're having a blast," Winter tried to smile, but it didn't last. All this talk about the girls, seeing Qrow again… She had something she had to do, and she didn't wanna waste another second. "Um, hey. Qrow… Could we talk real quick? Privately?" Winters voice was shaky and quiet, but her eyes were begging him to say yes. Damn, maybe it wasn't too late for that shot yet?

"I guess. You heard her, Jimmy, buzz off," he said while waving his hand back towards the party with a grin.

"Always so rough around the edges. I'm glad you managed to kick some of your old habits, but if only you'd gotten some manners out of the military too," He said as he scratched his head, "No matter, I'll see you two later, I have an annoyed wife I need to get a drink for," He laughed lightly, "Oh, and Winter? Good luck," He nodded to her before making his way over to the line for the bar.

"Alright, come on," Qrow told her before quickly leading her through the door she'd just come from and back into the kitchens. He was walking fast, and Winter got the feeling like he was trying to leave her behind. If he was, he didn't have any luck, because Winter was a master of speed walking in heels.

She expected him to lead her back into the alley, but walked right past the door leading outside and went further into the kitchen. Cooks and waiters would glance up at them, then look right back to whatever it was they were doing before.

"Are we even allowed to be back here?" Winter wondered, a little afraid as a rather large cook walked in front of them.

"Eh, they never seem to care. Hey, Ralph," Qrow waved to the tall cook, who nodded at Qrow. "They host this thing here every year, so they've gotten pretty used to us," Qrow explained as he opened a small side door, and Winter found herself looking at an office area.

There was a large desk on one side of the room that had a computer that looked at least twenty years old, an old chair, and god knows how many papers and pens littered everywhere in the room, even the floor. The rest of the room was all shelving that was filled with a mix of binders and mayo containers. The room smelled like an old bag of chips and damp mold, making Winter gag as she took her first breath in the room. _At least it's warm in here_, she thought, breathing through her mouth.

Qrow closed the door and then took a seat in the chair, leaning back with one arm slung over the side like he didn't have a care in the world, "So, what's up?" he asked bluntly, clearly wanting to get this out of the way.

Winter grabbed an empty milk crate off the shelf and used it as a seat. She sat there, looking at the floor, quietly thinking, and he sat there, quietly waiting.

"Ya know, I keep thinking about random stuff I wanna ask you. How've you been? How're the girls? Sure is weird you know my boss, isn't it? But, I just… I can't. I messed up, Qrow. I was scared, confused, and had no idea what to do anymore. Everything felt so out of my control, and I lost it. I stopped talking to you and the girls, couldn't sleep, I was screwing up everything at my job. Hell, it felt like I couldn't even talk to my own sister! I felt like such a screw up, like a failure…" explained Winter, all her frustration coming out as she talked, sick of holding all of this bullshit inside of her. She slammed her fits into her knees, the pain bringing her back to earth.

Winter was breathing hard now, with her blood pumping. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. "I took a step back, went back home for a minute, and it put everything into perspective I guess. I should've told you what I was feeling, and it wasn't fair that I didn't. The thing is, I've liked you for a long time. You're the only person I've ever liked this much, and I was so scared you wouldn't want anything to do with me if you knew how much of a screw up I was" Winter admitted, looking up from the floor and seeing that he'd stopped leaning back, and was looking at her with his full attention.

"I wanted to keep helping the girls, I wanted to keep my job, and I wanted to have you… I wanted everything. But I can't have that. So, I have to think about what I really want, and, well, I wanna be with you more than anything. I want it so badly it hurts my chest when I think about it, Qrow," Winter felt her heart fluttering with excitement and terror as she talked.

"So, um, what do you say? Do you wanna try this? Try us?" Winter breathed softly, the last words almost a whisper. Qrows was looking at the floor, one of his feet bounced up and down like a bouncy ball, both of his hands clasped together tightly in his lap.

She saw his mouth opening and closing, but couldn't see his eyes or hear what he was trying to say. Quickly, he stood up, turning away from her, pushing his hair back lightly as he breathed in hard.

"You are the most… Confusing, and infuriating girl I've ever met," He said quietly, his back still to her. "I tried to be patient, to try and move on after you said no. It hurt so god damned much. I almost went inside and had my first drink in years. But I didn't. I thought about it, and decided that this was for the best. That the girls were more important, and as long as you were helping them, it was worth it,"

"But then, you stopped talking to them, stopped coming over, and left them feeling like they'd done something wrong, like they'd been abandoned again! You hurt them, Winter. I know you get that, and you're trying to be better, but I can't forget how mad that made me. How much that hurt _me_. Then, just when I start to move on, accepting it all, here you are, telling me that you wanna get together?" He turned around now, and she could see the anger on his face. He was gritting his teeth, trying to calm down, but he was too far over the edge.

"I'm still mad, Winter. I'm mad at you for leaving even though you said you'd stay for the girls. I just, I don't know anymore Winter! God, I can't do this right now. Damn it, Jimmy. She won't be there my ass. I gotta take a walk," He growled before walking past her and out the door, leaving Winter sitting on her milk crate, dazed and utterly alone.

She stared at the door as it swung close, not sure what had happened. Her mind was blank as she thought about what had happened, what she'd said wrong. What he'd said to her, the anger in his eyes.

_He's leaving. I messed up. I destroyed any chance I had…_ Winter thought brutally, feeling destroyed and completely hopeless… She wanted to sit there until the end of time, alone and in pain until the day she died. That's what she deserved, wasn't it?

She wanted to say that it was. She deserved this. But confusingly enough, she couldn't admit it. What was even more confusing was that she found herself standing up, gritting her teeth, and running after him with all her might.

Cooks crowded the kitchen, so she twirled and dipped frantically around them. She heard glass shattering behind her and the clang of a metal tray, but she kept running, not caring that they were yelling at her.

She threw open the door to the hall, her eyes scanning all around her for Qrow. She spotted a tall man with black hair in the middle of the room and found herself charging towards him without a second thought.

She didn't find Qrow standing there, but she did find James. Glynda was at his side holding a bright red drink and sipping it with a bored expression as she listened to a dark skinned man talk about his kids.

"Have you guys seen Qrow?" Winter asked, her breath shaky and uneven. The man didn't seem to notice her, talking despite her outburst. Glynda and James turned to her, concerned, while the man kept running his mouth.

"He said he was going for a walk, but he looked pretty mad. Did something happen?" a worried James asked. Winter didn't say anything as she turned towards the front doors and watched them close. She bolted towards them, he hadn't gotten that far.

"Winter!"Glynda yelled, stopping the girl in her tracks. Everyone nearby turned to look at her, but Glynda couldn't have cared less. She walked up to Winter, her face serious and her lips a thin line.

"I've known Qrow a long time, and I've gotten a lot of chances to talk with him ever since you came into the picture thanks to those girls of his. It might not seem like it right now, but he cares about you almost as much as he cares about those girls. You hurt him, but he still cares, and I need to give you a warning. If you aren't gonna take this seriously, if this is just some guy to you and not someone really special, don't go after him. If you let him go now, he'll be able to move on. But if you go after him and somehow convince him to trust you, then leave him again… I'm not sure if he'll ever be ok," Glynda warned, dead seriously.

The way she was talking made Winter stop and think, even though her heart was beating and her legs told her to run. Was he just some guy to her? Was this some random conquest she'd regret later? She had her doubts… But only for a moment.

Then she thought of everything they'd done together, how he helped her when she really needed it, how they talked, played games, joked around, how he made her feel so secure with one quick joke. How he always seemed to know what to say to her to calm her down, how he always seemed to genuinely want to talk to her and make her feel comfortable…

No, this wasn't some random one off guy she'd forget about down the line. She'd never felt more secure and more wanted from someone in her life. He was just… He was special to her in too many ways to count.

She looked at Glynda, her eyes hard as steel and her blood flaming, "If he lets me, I'll never let him or those girls go ever again," Winter vowed, her hands clenched into fists at her words.

Glyndas serious face melted into a grin as she nodded to Winter. Winter turned and ran without another word to the front doors, pushing people out of her way without a care, ignoring their protests and complaints.

She forced the door open a crack before it blew open with enough force to dent the wall behind it, echoing across the hall once more. Fierce wind spilled into the hall, and everyone looked at her again. Winter didn't care about the door or the looks, she charged into the snow and left the door for someone else to close if they wanted.

The steps were slick with snow, and Winter had to use the rail to keep her balance as she charged down them. Qrow was nowhere in sight, and there were tracks leading everywhere which way. Winter walked in circles, trying to find some kind a sign to where he'd gone to, but had no clue which way he'd gone.

A light bulb went off in her head, and she started to run across the street to her car, fishing her keys from her purse that was slung around her shoulder. As Winters hand searched blindly for her keys, she managed to prick her finger on Amys nail file, drawing a drop of blood. On the bright side, she found the keys.

She opened her car door and jumped in, putting her keys in and turning the engine, ready to get on the road and look for Qrow. But the engine didn't turn over. It didn't even make a noise. Winter looked at the wheel, confused and angry.

"Of all the time you could've died, you choose now? Stupid car! Stupid cold! Stupid everything!" Winter screamed as she hit the wheel, getting out of the car and slamming the door closed.

She set out on foot, not caring about the snow falling hard outside now, the cold, or how her heels were starting to fill with snow. She was from Atlas, she was a Schnee, and she could walk through a blizzard without flinching.

She set off, determination in her every step as she trudged through the snow, looking for Qrow.

"Winter? What're you doing here?" She heard, causing her to look over excited. Instead of Qrow, she saw Tyrian standing there, looking at her confused.

"Tyrian?" She called, walking up to him.

"Hey. What're you doing out here? You look like you're freezing," He noted, reaching out and gently touching her bare shoulder in concern with his hands.

"I'm fine, my car just died is all," Winter grumbled, still mad at the damn thing.

"Do you need a ride somewhere? I'm parked right here, it's no trouble," He said, motioning to the same parking lot her car was in.

"Really? I'm looking for someone, would you mind driving me around to look for him? I can pay you if you want" Winter asked as she reached into her purse to grab her wallet, ignoring her instincts. She'd known Tyrian for awhile now, and while he might be a bit odd, he'd never done anything bad to her before. Plus, she was desperate.

"Don't worry about it. Come on, let's get you out of the cold," He said as he led the way to his car. It was an old Buick, that was dark red and low to the ground. It was only parked a few spots down from her own lucky enough, and when she climbed in, she was glad that it was already warm. It smelled like old pennies, but Winter couldn't care less. He got in and started it up, leaving the parking lot slowly.

There was plenty of snow on the ground and falling from the sky, so he kept the speed slow, which gave Winter every chance to look down every alley for Qrow.

"Who are we looking for?" He asked her curiously, his eyes never leaving the road.

"My friend. We had a fight and he ran off. I'm tlying to find him," Winter said, her words slurring from the adrenaline.

"Really? What'd you fight about?" He questioned, making a right turn slowly.

"It's a rot to explain," she said, annoyed at her own voice for failing for the millionth time. "What're you doing out here?" she asked him, mostly to be polite.

"I was with some friends, I was heading home when I spotted you," He explained calmly as they trudged on. Winter was staring out of her window, eyes straining to see anyone walking around in the snow. Maybe he'd just gone home? Then, Winter thought of something.

"We'rem't yo watchin moviez?" Winter said, her words totally slurred now, sending her heart into a frenzy. Tyrian smiled.

"Oh, I was. And then you told me you were going to your work party. Not only that, but you told that old bastard of a landlord you weren't gonna be home tonight. Then I thought to myself, when am I gonna get a chance like this again?" he said as he pulled off a thin, clear glove that she hadn't noticed he'd been wearing. It looked like there was a skin colored patch in the center of it, and he tossed it in the back seat.

"Whab abe you," Winters lips were starting to feel numb and heavy fast, like after you get a tooth pulled at the dentist and they have to numb you up. Her lips were too heavy to move right, and her words couldn't come out properly anymore, no matter how much she tried. She started to breath heavily and felt herself sweating, her heart was beating a million miles per hour as her blood froze solid in her veins.

"Gotta love the fast acting stuff, don't you?" He laughed, as he looked at her, an evil glimmer in his eyes.

Winter thought she knew what it was like to be scared, to be terrified before. She'd been wrong. Never before in her life had Winter felt so grappled by pure unimaginable dread. She could hardly breath, and she felt tears start to sting her eyes as she realized she couldn't even call for help as God knows what happened to her. All the while, Tyrian… Tyrian laughed.


	53. Chapter 53

**-Content Warning-**

**There are depictions of violence in this chapter that might not be suitable for everyone, so please come back next week if this bothers you. If not, please read and enjoy-**

"You know, at first I wasn't sure if you really were her. Winter Schnee, I mean. But it's such a rare name, so I started to do some research, and guess who's pretty little face was all over the Atlas news? Ha! I couldn't believe my luck!" laughed Tryian as he took his eyes off the road, watching the panic swell in Winter's gaze.

"Oh yes, I know exactly who you are. I also know a good few people who'd love to get their hands on you, but definitely not for free," He chuckled, a twisted grin growing on his face. "That bastard Earl told you about the rumors, right? All those little stories about people going missing near me? Or maybe he saved you from all of the nasty little details? Either way, most of them were nonsense. But, those rumors did come from some truth, that's for sure" He was trying to keep his laughter in, but it kept slipping out from between his lips, like some kind of demented hyena.

Winter lunged for the door, yanking on the handle with all the force she could muster. When it didn't budge, she tried to manually open the lock, but it felt like it was glued down or something. Winter started to bash the door with her shoulder, but it still stayed sealed.

"Ooh, sorry about that, but children's locks can sometimes be the most damned thing, can't they?" He laughed like he'd just said the funniest joke in the world, while Winter felt like she was about to be sick.

Winter's mouth was way too heavy to move now, so all she could do was groan in response. Her heart was beating hard and fast in her chest, her brain running rampant thinking of everything that could happen to her, who she could be sold to, where they'd keep her, what horrible things anyone could do to her if they got their hands on her…

Winter was used to people trying to use her to get money or respect, that was part of the life of an heiress. But her parents always told her to be wary of strangers, that some people would do horrible things to get what they wanted. Winter'd always thought they meant that someone would try to rob her if she wasn't careful, but now she understood what they were saying, far, far, too late.

Winter never exactly felt safe around Tyrian and always thought he was a little creepy for sure. But never in a million years did Winter think that he could drive her to the brink of terror. That's why as she laid there, she let the tears spill from her eyes. They'd warned her about this, but here she was anyway, how about that! Winter felt laughs bubble out with the sobs, the noises she was making were twisted and dark, and everything felt so pointless and desperate.

Despite the hopelessness inside of her, Winter still had some fight left in her too. She looked at Tyrian, thinking about what would happen if she started to attack him. It was the perfect time for him to look over at her, almost as if he was reading her mind, "I wouldn't try anything funny if I were you. These roads are offley slippery, and we might not be going that fast, but crashing the car probably isn't the best idea, don't you agree?" He taunted, taking a hard right, and sliding dangerously, almost hitting a mailbox as he skitted.

He laughed loudly as he saw the idea die behind her eyes. Tyrian lit up at this, like it was a signal he'd been waiting for, because now he was cackling. "I bet you're curious what's gonna happen to you, aren't you? Well, in a few minutes your legs will slowly start to tingle before you lose control over them. After that, the same thing's gonna happen to your arms, and you're gonna sit nice and still for me. I'm gonna go and hand you over to some good friends of mine and they're gonna give your daddy a ring and he's gonna give us a nice paycheck before we give you back," The more Tryrian explained the faster Winter's heart beat; now it was going so fast she was worried it might pop. Honestly, that might be preferable to whatever happened to her.

"Don't worry, nobody's gonna hurt a white hair on your pretty little head, you're way too valuable for that… But then again, who knows?" He asked, leaning in so close Winter could feel his breath on her cheek. Winter shivered and turned away from him and to the window, her hot breath and tears clouded the glass.

But, even through the fog and the tears, she still saw a tall man in a white dress shirt stomping down the sidewalk just ahead of them coming their way. _Qrow!_ Winter thought desperately, relief and adrenaline filling her body.

There was a four way stop a few car lengths up the road, totally deserted aside from Tyrians car going down the road and Qrow walking up it. Qrow was heading back to the banquet hall from the look of things, and Tyrian was about to drive right by him once they passed the light.

Winter's jaw opened up, and if she could've she would've yelled for him. Instead, it came out as a grumble, which just made Tyrian laugh louder, like her suffering was fueling him.

"No need to cry so loudly, it won't help you any," Tyrian grinned madly, slowing down as the light ahead of them turned yellow.

An idea flashed in her head, and she hoped to anyone listening that it worked. The light turned red and Tyrain came to a stop, like any good law-abiding citizen would, while Qrow started to walk towards them briskly.

The closer he got the clearer WInter could see his face. He wasn't mad anymore, but somber and thoughtful, scratching his chin not realizing that there wasn't any hair to itch. He was looking down at the snowy ground, his thoughts raging.

Winter had to do something to get him to notice her quickly, or else her window of opportunity would disappear. She cast a quick glance at Tyrian and saw an easy smile on his lips, his eyes too busy looking her body up and down to notice her gaze.

"That dress really does suit you, I thought that when you walked in. I was really hoping that red head would be joining us tonight, but you win some you lose some," He cackled, leaning back in his seat like he was taking a victory lap.

Tyrian turned on the radio to some nauseating rock music, tapping his finger on the wheel as he enjoyed himself.

Winter's stomach was churning hard, and she felt like she could be sick at any moment. If there was one saving grace to any of this, it was that Amy had been lucky enough to not go with her. Whatever happened from here on out, she was at least glad for that.

With the glow of the red light illuminating her, she took a deep breath and slammed her head against her window so hard the car shook. Winter could instantly feel a lump growing right above her forehead. She was glad her hair was covering it. It wouldn't be the best if her first Christmas pictures with the girls and Qrow had her sporting a huge bruise.

Tyrian looked around the car, confused on what just happened. He turned down the music for a moment and looked around. His eyes went to Winter for an instant before he shrugged, turning the music back up. Either he didn't notice she'd hit the car, or he really didn't care about what she did right now.

Qrow'd also been snapped out of his daze, at least a little bit. He was looking around, confused at what he'd heard and where it had come from. He was looking over at a coffee shop when Winter hit the window again, even harder than the last time.

Winter's vision went blurry and she wasn't sure if it was from the drugs or the head trauma. Qrow was shifting around in her vision, but he was looking right at her now. He was looking at her as if she was looking at a ghost, with a lot of skepticism and fear.

"Winter, is that you?" He asked from outside the car, walking up to it quickly. Winter hardly heard him and she was glad. That meant Tyrian probably hadn't heard him at all. She looked out at the window, gasping from the pain and nodded to Qrow.

He didn't say anything, but he could see something was wrong with her as he got to the car. Winter looked up at him, her panting fogging up the glass so much she was scared he'd lose sight of her. Her mind was hazy, but she found the strength to mouth one word. "Help," She begged silently, another tear falling from her eyes.

Qrow grabbed at the handle and tried to pull it open, but it held strong, "Hey, open up the car! Winter, are you ok?" He yelled to Tyrian, finally cutting through the sounds of the guitar and getting him to turn towards Qrow. Qrow used his elbow to hit Winter's window, and she saw it wain. On the second hit, a spiderweb of cracks grew along the window.

Winter closed her eyes tight, readying herself for the glass to come flying in with Qrows elbow. But the third hit never came. Tyrian had finally understood what was going on and had hit the gas hard, leaving Qrow in the dust.

"Winter!" She heard Qrow yell, his cries growing more and more distant with every passing second as they drove past the red light. Winter opened her eyes and looked back at him, her stomach somehow dropping even lower as her last hope was left behind. H

Winter felt Tyrian grab onto her hair, yanking her face away from the window and away from Qrow, she saw how much he wanted to throw her against the dashboard. He came close, but he held back, instead he forced her backward so she was leaning back in her seat.

"You better hope that stunt didn't leave a mark! Damaged goods aren't exactly good in my line of work," He balled his fists like he was about to hit her, but then dropped them, thinking better of it.

Winter felt her breathing start to get out of control again, Qrow was gone and it was just her again. The numbness was climbing up her legs, and Winter wanted to burst into tears when she realized that she couldn't wiggle her toes anymore.

"Ooh, starting to lose a bit more feeling? Don't worry, that won't last for too long. When we get to my friends, they'll give you something that'll make you go to sleep. Just imagine all the fun dreams you're going to have," He whispered into her ear sending a torrent of fear up her body. Tyrian might not have been willing to hit her, but that meant he took even more pleasure out of finding other ways to hurt her

Some part of Winter wanted to give up, to accept whatever happened to her, to try her best and simply ignore everything that happened to her, hoping that nobody did anything too bad to her or at least hoping she wouldn't have to remember it too clearly…

But an image of her mom crossed into her head, and Winter felt a sense of calm wash over her. There'd been a time not too long ago where Willow Schnee was told there was no point in fighting, that she should live her last few days peacefully. But that wasn't what Willow Schnee did. Willow fought every day of her life to smile, to try and stay positive for her daughters and husband, to try her best even though it was hopeless. If there was ever a time to be like Willow Schnee, it was now.

The first thing Winter did was calm her breathing down. She took a long breath in and counted in her head, one, two, three… Letting the air out slowly. She did this two more times, getting more and more control over herself with each second that passed until she finally felt a bit more grounded.

Winter knew a few things. She knew that her legs were numb, but when she tried to move her fingers, they worked almost perfectly. This gave her a bit of well needed confidence and a bit more to work with.

Winter also knew that Tyrian was dropping her off somewhere, probably in the city or just outside of it. And if they were going to the edge of the city, she didn't have long.

Her neurons were firing faster than ever before. It didn't help that Tyrian was giggling every few seconds like he was a kid waiting to open his Christmas presents, it was throwing her off.

Winter moved her fingers one more time making sure they could work, but then she stopped. Not because she was losing feeling or because of Tyrian, but because she felt something wet and sticky on her fingers. She cast her eyes downward and saw a small bit of red blood on her fingers.

An idea popped into Winter's head. A dumb, dangerous idea, but it was something. She moved her eyes to the side and saw that her purse was still open, apparently, she'd forgotten to close it up after dropping her keys into it. Winter felt chills go up her back, and her heart started to beat harder and deeper with excitement and terror.

Winter knew that she only had one chance to get this right. She knew that the edge of the city was fast approaching, she was running out of time, and that she was getting farther and farther away from Qrow with every passing second. As much as she wanted to overthink and make sure everything was perfect and safe, she didn't have that luxury right now. She didn't have any options left, so that meant that it was time to be like Mom.

Winter looked over at Tyrian, his right hand on the wheel while his left rested on his leg, tapping on his jeans to whatever song he was blasting over the speakers. Winter felt sweat start to drip off of her as she moved her arm, which was a lot heavier than normal, as silently as she could over to her purse, her fingers slipping inside.

The tips of her fingers were starting to get numb, so Winter used her palm to feel around, sighing with relief as she found what she was looking for. Her eyes moved over to Tyrian once more, who looked like he just wanted all of this to be done with so he could go home.

Tyrian didn't notice her movements, or at least he didn't act like he had. There was a green light ahead and no other cars in sight, which was about as good as Winter could hope for. Her arms might have been heavy, but Winter didn't care as she pulled her hand out from her purse and lifted it high, Amy's sharp nail file grasped between her fingers tightly. She brought it down hard and fast into the side of Tyrian's right leg, winching as she heard the sharp edge slide into his flesh an inch or two, blood pouring out of the wound and onto her hand.

"Jesus Christ! You crazy bitch!" He shrieked in agony, his right hand going for his wound while his left shakily grabbed hold of the wheel. Winter pushed harder with one hand, the edge eating deeper into the side of his leg, while her other hand reached for the wheel.

Tyrian was a bit distracted, so he didn't give her much of a fight when she wrestled the wheel away from him. Tyrian was grasping at his leg, screams and curses flying from his mouth as blood streamed down his leg.

Winters mind was totally blank now and her body was on full auto-piolet, trying its best to keep her alive. For some reason though, her body thought that the best thing for her to do was to take the wheel away from Tyrian. Not to try and take them anywhere, oh no. Instead, Winter took the wheel and pulled it towards her as hard as she could, forcing the car into a sharp turn.

Shock and fury was still engraved on Tyrians face as he looked up from his wound, "You're gonna regret that you stuid bitch!" He shouted as he reached towards her, his hand about to wrap around her neck. But through the haze of pain, he seemed to finally get what was happening to the car.

Despite the agony, he reached out and ripped the wheel from Winters's grasp, giving her the perfect opportunity to stab even deeper. He let go of the wheel and grabbed at his leg again, bringing a chorus of cries from his lips.

Winter let go of the file and brought her arms around her head protectively. For a second she was afraid Tyrian would go for the wheel again, but it was too late now. The car had started to skid in the road, the back end of the car came rushing forward as they lost control, spinning out. Out of the corner of her eye, Winter could see a street lamp looming, coming closer and closer.

Tyrian hadn't been smart enough to take his foot off the gas, so they were only getting faster. Tyrian's screams echoed in her ears. If she could've, Winter would've been screaming too.

They crashed into the light with a crunch as it hit the front left of the car, sending both of them lurching forward viscously.

There was an explosion of noise around them, the piercing sound of glass shattering and the horrible crunching noise of bending metal almost deafened popped Winters ear drums. The momentum of the car forced her forwards, her arms cushioned the impact, but it still hurt as she hit. Winters numb legs seemed to slip, and she couldn't catch herself as she fell down and to the side, her eyes closed tightly as she bounced around the car.

Winter was vaguely aware of Tyrian getting thrown violently to the side, but she couldn't focus on anything right now, let alone him. As she settled at the bottom of the car, her mind couldn't help but notice the lack of airbags and wondered if Tyrian knew about that before now.

The engine was a creaking, sputtering disaster that was whining loudly. Winter wondered if it would explode like in a cartoon, but soon enough the sputtering sounds died and Winter was left in a crippling silence, her gasping breaths the only thing to be heard for miles.

Winter kept her eyes glued shut and her arms around her head, expecting another large crash to come from somewhere and to fling her into something else. The copper taste of blood filled her mouth as she felt her whole body trembling.

Slowly, like a baby, Winter opened her eyes for what felt like the first time. She was lying at the bottom of the car, Tyrian's feet by her head and broken bits of glass covering her like a new coat. She moved her arms from around her head, they felt a lot more banged up than they had a few minutes before, and started to dust the glass off of her face.

Once she was mostly clear of glass, Winter forced her left hand under her body, it was mostly numb now, but the adrenaline coursing through her veins was stronger than the drugs. She forced herself up into a sitting position through sheer will power, careful to avoid cutting her hands on the shards of glass.

Looking around, Winter saw that Tyrian was sitting motionless in his seat, his head leaning to the left, bleeding lightly. He would've been resting on the window if it was still there, but it was currently on the floor in pieces now. He was breathing, thankfully, but he was unconscious.

Winter felt a breeze come through the car, but the cold didn't even register for her. She looked over to her side of the car and saw that her door's window had been shattered too. Not only that, but the door was hanging on one hinge, swinging back and forth in the wind.

Winter tried to get to her feet, to walk away from this nightmare, but her arms didn't have the energy to push her anymore. Even if they did, her legs were completely shot now, and she wouldn't have been able to walk anyway. She wasn't sure why, but Winter leaned back and started to laugh hard and deep. If any of Tyrian's friends found her, she wouldn't be able to fight them off or get away. Tears rolled down her face as Winter laughed, hoping that Tyrian didn't wake up. But honestly, Winter didn't exactly care what happened anymore.

There was a crunching noise coming from somewhere Winter couldn't see that stopped the laughter. Winter looked around for something to use as a weapon, but stopped when she realized her arms were totally useless. She couldn't even put her arms up to defend herself anymore.

Then, a tall man with black messy hair, orange eyes, and a warm heart came into view, the snow crunching beneath him. When she saw him, she started to cry uncontrollably, a smile on her face as she tried to reach out for him.

"Winter, oh god that is you! What happened, why're you with that guy from your apartment?" Qrow questioned out of breath, his hands on his knees. He didn't wait for an answer before he got into the car and started to pull Winter up. He was gentle with her, rubbing her back softly and telling her sweet nothings while he got her into the passenger seat after he'd gotten all of the broken glass off of it.

Winter forced her arms around Qrow with strength she didn't know she had left as she balled. She tried to tell him what had happened, but it only came out like a bunch of mush. She managed to get a few words out, "Take… Bad… Help," but Qrow seemed to get the message loud and clear.

He grabbed her and pulled her out of the car, carrying her like a sleeping princess as he walked off to the side of the road. He sat down and kept Winter in his lap, her eyes were closed and her head leaning into the crook of his neck. The sweet smell of oil was starting to replace the smell of blood, the beating of his heart keeping the silence at bay.

She was vaguely aware of him bringing out his phone and talking to the police, but she knew she was already safe, so Winter didn't really care. She didn't pay attention to what he said to the cops, but she did pay attention to the warmth the two of them were sharing as the snow fell around them in the night.

Qrow talked to the police calmly, and she could feel his eyes on her the whole time, nervously looking to see how she was doing.

"Are you ok?" Qrow finally asked after he'd finished explaining to the police, the sound of sirens was in the distance.

"Yeab," Winter said, her mouth starting to feel like whatever had clogged it up was starting to dissipate.

"What happened? You were just at the party, why're you here?" He asked in a panic, mind racing. Winter shook her head and forced her arm up, putting a shaky hand on his chest.

"Later," Was all she got out, knowing any more and her words would fall apart like a house of cards in an earthquake.

"W-What happened?" Winter heard from the car, and heard glass shifting around. There was a sharp intake of breath, and pained sounds coming from the car. Winter opened her eyes and looked over to the car, and saw Tyrian looking around, dazed.

"What's his deal?" Qrow asked Winter, eyes looking at her for any info, intensity and anger radiating from him.

"Bad," Winter forced herself to stutter out, making sure every syllable was clear. Qrow eyed Tyrian down, his face stern. He shifted Winter off of his lap and onto the cold sidewalk below.

"Can you still sit up?" He gently asked her, and she nodded to him in response, "Good. I'll be right back. There's something I have to do before the cops come," He smiled at her, reaching out and grabbing her hand, giving it a long squeeze and leaving his cell phone in her numb fingers, where the 911 operator was still talking to nobody.

When he let go of her, a hard and terrifying look came onto his face, and Winter was sure then that this was what pure fury looked like. He had the presence of someone a lot bigger and a lot scarier as he walked back to the car, the snow had stopped falling, and Winter was positive that it was because it was afraid of Qrow right now.

Winter watched as Qrow walked slowly over to the driver side of the car, where the back left of the car was wedged into the street light. He stepped around the broken glass and bits of blood like they were cracks in the sidewalk.

"Hey, I'm not sure if you remember me, but I'm a friend of Winters. We met in the elevator," Qrow said casually, "Oh, it looks like she really got you good in the leg there, and that's a pretty good gash on your head. I've seen some bad shit, and I can tell you you're gonna be fine. Might have a bit of a limp from now on, but it could be worse," Qrow noted, pointing at the nail file, still deep in Tyrian's leg, blood oozing onto his pants.

"Glad to hear it," Tyrian breathed, his eyes hazy, "Could you help me get out of here?" He asked in a pissed off and aggravated tone, like he had somewhere to be and this was the least important thing on his mind.

"Course, buddy," Qrow said pleasantly, but Winter felt prickles move up her arms at how much rage and anger Qrow was giving off. All of Winter's instincts were telling her that this was a predator about to go in for the kill.

Qrow opened the door, which fell off as soon as he opened it, and reached in to unbuckle Tyrian's seat belt. Then, Qrow got serious. He grabbed Tyrian's collar and dragged him out of the car in one motion, Tyrian screamed in agony, his leg moving and the file cutting deeper. Qrow held him a foot off the ground, his hands tangled in Tyrian's shirt, while the pathetic man weakly grabbed at Qrow, trying to free himself.

"Can you do me a favor and pay attention, what was your name? Tyrian? Can you pay attention for me Tyrian?" Qrow growled, shoving him harder into the side of the car. Tyrian nodded, not talking because he either couldn't get that much air or he was too scared. Winter was betting on the latter.

"Good. Now I might not know exactly what happened here, but something tells me I have a pretty good idea. If I wasn't such a good guy, I'd probably throw you in a river somewhere and smile as the fishes ate you," There was a dark glint in Qrows eyes that made it clear exactly how honest he was being with Tyrian, and they both knew it.

"But since I'm so nice, I'm not going to do that. Instead, I'm going to give you a warning and I'm going to hit you. Hard. Here's the warning, if you or anyone else tries to mess with my friend again, I'll come and find you. I've had a lot of experience tracking pieces of filth like you down, and nobody will notice if you disgraces get a bit banged up or worse. So, to make myself clear, if you come near Winter ever again, or even look in her direction, I'll end your pitiful existence with an honest to god smile on my face. Got it?" Qrow growled murderously. Tyrian started to wiggle like a snake now, trying to get out of Qrows grasp, but nothing could get Qrow to let go now. "Understand?"

"Yes! Yes, I understand, please let me go!" Tyrian cried, tears spilling down his face from fear and anguish. Qrow smiled and let him go, grinning even bigger as Tyrian screeched when his leg hit the ground, falling onto his rear end against the side of the car, cradling his injured leg.

"Good. Now don't run off now, not that you could. I have a feeling some people are really gonna wanna hear everything you have to say. Oh, and best not lie, or else," Qrow smiled as he started to walk away, leaving Tyrian a crying, gasping pile of filth in the street.

"Wait, didn't you say you were going to hit me?" He questioned, looking at Qrows back. This made Qrow stop, turn around, and start walking back with a smile, which was the last thing Tyrian wanted.

"Oh yeah, thanks for reminding me," Qrow told him gruffly before he brought his leg back as far as it could, launching it right into Tyrian's gut with enough force to knock the air out of his lungs. Tyrian gaped and grabbed at his stomach, trying his best to keep his food down.

Qrow grabbed Tyrians long ponytail, pulling it into the air and getting Tyrians head up, "I know this makes me a liar, but I don't really care," Qrow spat, before smashing his fist into the side of Tyrians face hard and knocking him to the ground with a thud.

Tyrian's mouth opened and closed, like he was trying to say something, but only anguished squeeks came out, something that brought a smile to Winters lips. "Sorry about the second hit, but you really deserved it," Qrow sighed, his breathing out of control. He walked away, leaving Tyrian collapsed on the ground for the cops to find.

Qrow came back to Winter, his eyes wide and crazed, he sat down with his fists clenched and his breathing erratic to say the last. Winter knew he wanted to go back over there and keep hitting Tyrian, but she was so glad he decided to come back and sit with her instead.

"La-p," Winter said brokenly, getting Qrows attention. His eyes seemed to calm down as he looked at her, an actual smile growing on his face as he silently picked Winter up and moved her back to his lap.

Winter heaved her arm up and rested it on Qrows shoulder. Her fingers were numb, so she moved her hand up and down his hair reassuringly. Her other arm took a few tries, but she got it up on his other shoulder and had the strength to pull him into a hug.

Qrow sighed as he leaned into her, "Even after all this, you're still just trying to make everyone else feel better. Pff, yeah, that sounds about right for you," He chuckled, his breathing starting to get under control now. He grabbed her around the waist and leaned his forehead so it was resting on her shoulder, looking down at the ground.

"I'm so glad you're ok…" He talked so quietly that even if someone had been standing right next to them, Winter still would've been the only person to hear what he said.

The two of them sat in each others embrace for a long time, the snow falling softly on their skin, both of them relieved. When one of them would start crying, the other would do their best to soothe them and calm them down. Then, when the other started to cry, the same thing would happen.

They went like that until the sirens that had started off in the far distance were right on top of them, the red and blue flashing lights speeding towards them. But honestly, Winter didn't care about any of that. She breathed, and moved her hand through Qrows hair. She was still shaking with terror, afraid of what would happen next, but at least she knew that Qrow would be by her side no matter what.

**-Authors note/question-**

**First of all, a quick question: Who's your favorite character from this story so far and why? I'm just curious.**

**Second, this was probably one of my favorite chapters to write so far, so I really hope you guys enjoyed it. What are your guys thoughts on the story so far? Thoughts on how it might end? We're getting close to the end now, and its kind of surreal, almost been a full year of this story now, and I'm amazed so many people read it weekly! Or, like, at all! Definitely crazy to me. But, anyway, have a great week!**


	54. Chapter 54

The next few hours went by in a blur of red and blue lights where Winter was bombarded with question after question. Some questions were simple, others complex, but she couldn't answer any of them with how heavy her mouth felt. After figuring out they weren't getting any info from her, most of the police went to raid the car for evidence, which they found in the form of a glove in the back seat.

Winter's attention was being pulled in a thousand directions at once, and she found herself hardly even noticing the countless cops who would come up and talk to her and Qrow individually, questions hot on their tongues. Qrow would say a few words to them, but Winter could only look up at them and nod or shake her head, and she hardly even had the energy for that.

Some police were understanding, some were a bit pushier, but all of them eventually left them alone when they noticed her resting her eyes, fading in and out of the lightest of sleeps. She could hear the handcuffs click shut around Tyrians wrists and could hear him crying weakly. She had no clue if he was crying from the pain in his leg or because he was getting arrested, but Winter couldn't help but hope it was his leg.

It wasn't until the ambulance arrived a few minutes later that they had any sense of peace. The paramedics shooed off the police like they were a pack of stray dogs that were fighting for a bit of fresh meat, grabbing Winter and Qrow, and getting them situated in the back of the ambulance as fast as they could, rushing them off to the nearest hospital.

The doctors were a lot nicer than the cops, or at least they were a lot less pushy than the cops. The doctors talked softly and slowly, asking simple yes or no questions at a pace she could keep up with. They also forced the legion of police to wait in the lobby, which won them a few extra points in Winter's book.

They ran test after test on her, making sure her brain and body weren't too badly beat up from the crash and the cocktail of drugs Tyrian had dumped into her system.

They ran test after test on her in the next few hours. They were looking for things like brain damage, what cocktail of drugs Tyrian had dumped into her system, how her motor skills were doing, and plenty more. They weren't too bad, but an hour into the tests and Winter's mind was strained and she could hardly keep her eyes open. The more time that went on the more feeling she got in her legs and arms, which were sore and tight from the crash. Winter moved slowly and stiffly, but she forced herself to bite back her complaints.

When Winter thought she'd reached her limit, it was Qrow who'd put a hand on her shoulder and tell her to rest if she needed it, to sleep if she needed it. Even that simple little push gave her the strength to keep going throughout the long night.

It wasn't until about 4 am that everything started to slow to a crawl and leave her and Qrow alone in a hospital room where Winter could whimper in peace over how many needles they'd stuck in her arm. The room smelled like lemon pledge and laundry detergent, which was comforting for some odd reason. She was lying back in her bed, looking out at the starry night from her window, glad she was on one of the higher floors of the hospital.

Qrow was sitting on one of the hard plastic seats in the corner of the room, pretending to be on his phone while his eyes glanced up to check on her a few times every minute. There was a tv the corner of the room that she'd asked Qrow to switch off when they first got there. Winter liked listening to the hustle and bustle of the hospital, there was always movement or the sound of steps coming from the hallway, and it reminded her of listening to the city in her bed at night.

"Merry Christmas," Winter choked out, her voice hoarse and broken. Winter's throat burned as she talked, and she wasn't sure if that was because of how little she'd talked tonight or because of all the crying she'd done. If she was being honest, her money was on the ladder.

Qrow looked up from his phone and smiled at her warmly, "I guess it is Christmas, isn't it?" He chuckled before standing up and stretching. "Doesn't really feel like a very merry Christmas, but it could be a lot worse. Shit, wait. Don't be shocked if that old bag Maria busts in here and tries to kill me. I told her I'd be gone for a few hours, and something tells me she's probably running out of patience,"

"If it makes you feel better I can protect you from the big bad Granny. I'm pretty good with a nail file if you didn't notice," Winter joked as a hoarse wheezing sound came from her throat. It shocked her until she realized that it was her laughing. "God, my voice!" Winter wheezed, leaning back and looking up at the ceiling with a pout.

"I think it's pretty cool, you sound like Darth Vader,"

"Wait, the burn victim? How is it cool to sound like him!" Winter complained with a wheezing laugh.

"Wait, you've actually seen Star Wars?" Qrow questioned, utterly stupefied.

"Yeah, you loaned it to me, you dork. I've watched most of those movies you gave me," Winter admitted skittishly, "Is that bad?"

"No, that's great! Now I can make fun of you and you'll actually get the references," He grinned leaning down and poking her nose while she had to sit there and take it. Her head was way too sore to move it away and her arms were still a little wonky, so she didn't trust her hand not to hit her in the eye.

"I like that I'll get your references, but do you have to make fun of me?" Winter questioned him, trying her best to copy Ruby's masterful puppy dog eyes.

"Of course, that's half the fun,"

Winter stuck her tongue out at him lazily, but as they gazed into each other's eyes the jokes all but faded away. Time seemed to stop then, both of them wanted to say something, to restart the conversation they'd had at the banquet hall, but neither of them knew how… But then Winter realized something, she didn't really care how awkward it was, she was starting this. "Hey, Qrow-" Winter started, right as a soft knocking at her door interrupted her.

The two of them looked at the door, annoyed. "Come in," Qrow called out as he smiled at her, knowing that they'd continue this talk soon.

The door cracked open and in walked an older woman with short black hair and a full faced smile. Winter recognized her as the doctor who'd been bombarding her with tests, but couldn't place her name to save her life. "Hey, Winter, how're you doing?" The woman asked kindly as she walked up to Winter.

"I guess I sound like Darth Vader, but fine apart from that," She smiled at the woman while Qrow tried to hold in his laughter.

"That's better than sounding like Jabba at least," The woman winked at Winter before she reached down and started to poke and prod Winter's legs."Looks like you're doing fine. Doesn't appear to be any major damage to your muscles or voice, and your sense of humor seems like it's in perfect condition, so that's a major plus. Your chart said you lived alone, right?"

Winter nodded, not wanting to stress her voice anymore.

"You have a few options then. You could either stay here for a few more days, go to a friend or family member's place, or you could stay at your boyfriend's place. It doesn't really matter as long as you stay with someone who can watch you," The woman explained with a wink of mischief in her eyes, glancing between her and Qrow with more than a little interest.

"Wait, we aren't-" Winter started to say, but a quick pat on her arm from the doctor was enough to get her to shut up.

"Just teasing, dear. Think about it and let us know where you're staying. Once you do that you should be fine to head out," The woman said standing up, fidgeting with one of the monitors that were hooked up to Winters's fingers. "Oh, and one more thing. There's an officer who wants to ask you a few questions if you're feeling up to it. Or if you want me to send her packing, I can do that too," The woman chuckled, dead serious.

"I appreciate it, but I think I can talk to them," Winter nodded. Talking was the last thing Winter wanted to do right now, but she also wanted this whole thing taken care of as soon as possible. She was tired and wanted to sleep, but still had to call Amy and beg the girl to let her crash on her couch for a few days.

"I'll send her in," The woman nodded as she got up and left the room, shutting the door softly. Winter was blushing, looking down at the sheets while Qrow looked away, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.

Winter wanted to say something to fill the silence, but neither of them said anything. Instead their eyes danced around the room, doing an impressive job of not making eye contact. Thankfully, the door opened a minute or two later, saving them from the silence.

Winter had seen a lot of police commissioners and higher-ups whenever she went to gallas with her family. They were always tall, quiet, imposing figures with impressive mustaches that could stop a criminal cold with a glare. That's why Winter had to do a double-take when the exact opposite walked through the door.

The woman was short with a stout nose, shoulder length gray hair, and an intense face that looked stuck grimacing. Her posture was even stricter than James' and she walked straight to Winter's bed quickly and with enough purpose to shake Winter. She reminded Winter of a teacher who yelled at kids for laughing too loudly.

"Hello Miss Schnee, my name is Caroline Cordovin, police captain, and I had a few questions I could hope you could answer for me," She said dryly, looking down at Winter and not even glancing at Qrow.

"Um, sure-"

"Excellent. My men couldn't get many answers out of you at the scene of the crime, which they will be reprimanded for, but that is of no concern to you. The first question I have to ask is probably the most difficult one; what exactly happened?" She talked quickly and to the point, and it was clear that she wanted Winter to respond the same way.

It was such a simple question, but Winter drew a complete blank on how to answer it. What happened? Hell, even Winter wasn't totally sure. It was all mashed together and confused in her head, muddled by terror, fear, and adrenaline.

The woman, Cordovin, was looking at her with equal parts disdain and curiosity, making it clear she wanted to know what happened for more than just a report. So, Winter told her about Tyrian. How they lived in the same building, had talked from time to time, the rumors, what they'd talked about that morning, and then everything that happened after meeting him at the banquet hall. Winter could taste the blood in her mouth when she talked about stabbing him.

Cordovin wrote everything Winter had to say in a small notebook with a dull pencil, getting as many of the details down as possible. She was quiet as Winter explained, asking questions or for her to elaborate on some things. It was nice to tell her story to Cordovin, and to Qrow for that matter. Getting her thoughts out of her head helped.

After Winter finished talking, Cordovin kept scribbling into her notebook, but Winter wasn't sure what she was writing anymore. When she was done the notebook went into her back pocket, and she sighed deeply like she was exhausted and finally let herself sit down. "Tell me, do you know about some of the crimes against Tyrian in other countries?" She asked earnestly, her jaw stiffening when Winter shook her head.

"Then you don't know how lucky you are. Tyrian has been charged with kidnapping, abuse, trafficking, and a lot more. There have been at least twelve cases of kidnapping, with a few of those victims still missing… You must be one tough woman managing to escape a man like that," She nodded to Winter proudly, a small and smug grin on her lips. "With what you've given us here, he's going to be going away from now till doomsday, so hold your head up high," Cordovin declared, her hand going into one of her pockets and pulling out a small card. Cordovin wrote something on it very quickly before she handed it to Winter, who took it carefully.

"I can't do much, but if you ever need anything, please give me a call and I'll see what I can do. We'll be in touch" The two of them shared a smile before Cordovin turned and started to walk towards the door, only to stop in front of Qrow.

"Ah, if it isn't Marias little pet project. Tell me, how is that old crown doing?" Cordovin spat.

"She's still kicking somehow. I'll be sure to let her know that you're still alive too. I'm sure she'll be thrilled," Qrow snickered. Cordovin gave a huff, ignoring him again as she turned towards the door sharply, leaving without another word.

"You know her?" Winter asked Qrow, who shrugged like it wasn't a big deal.

"She and Maria go way back. Maria did something to piss Cordovin off, then Cordovin did something to piss Maria off, and they've been in a blood feud ever since. I'm convinced the only reason they're both still alive is to piss the other one off," Qrow chuckled as he strolled back over to Winter's bedside, taking a seat on the bed with her.

Winter held her ground against his heavy gaze, gulping as she prepared to finally finish this once and for all. For better or for worse, this conversation was ending right here, right now.

Surprisingly, Winter wasn't the first to speak. She tried, her mouth open and words on the tip of her tongue, but Qrow beat her to the punch by a fraction of a second.

"When we talked earlier, I was… I was mad. I'd been thinking about how you left the girls, how you left me, and I had a lot I wanted to say to you. A lot of bad stuff," He sounded regretful as he talked, and Winter was shocked he'd beaten her to the punch.

"So when I saw you at the party, something Jimmy said you wouldn't be at, I didn't really listen to what you had to say. I shut my ears and didn't even listen, all I know was that I kept getting madder until I had to do something… So I ran. I ran hard and fast, and wasn't even sure where I ended up for a while,"

"When I was lost though, I cooled down and thought about what you said. After everything you said, I couldn't exactly ignore all of it without feeling like a dick," Qrow's voice got quiet as he thought about what to say next, while Winter was on the edge of her seat.

"And?" She eventually asked, full of hope and terror, her patients totally gone.

"I could tell you meant what you said. About still taking care of the girls, being lost, doing better, and wanting to try this. I could tell you meant it all. I was still mad, but I understood at least a bit. It's not like I haven't been lost before either," He chuckled.

"I… I'm glad you see it that way. But, Qrow… What're you saying?" whimpered Winter, feeling fragile and strong at the same time somehow.

"I wanna try this. That's what I'm saying, Snowflake," He said softly as he reached down and grabbed her shaky and clammy hand.

"Y-You're sure? You won't change your mind after I leave the hospital, right? You're sure this isn't just some kind of pity thing?" Winter prodded her throat so tight she could hardly breathe. She grabbed onto Qrows hand tightly, making him laugh.

"No, this isn't a pity thing. I was on my way back to the banquet hall to tell you when that freak picked you up,"

"Um…" Winter opened her mouth to speak and was shocked to find that her foot was already well inside of her mouth, and the best she could manage was an awkwardly loving smile at him.

"So, does that mean you wanna try this? No jokes, no lies, no running away. If you don't want to, that's cool too though. I'm not dumb enough to let a great friend go because she doesn't wanna date," He said earnestly, his eyes sparkling like liquid fire, so tantalizing and warm… But Winter stopped herself and thought.

As much as she wanted to dive into his fiery eyes, Glynda's warning echoed out. Is this really what she wanted?

But her feelings were even clearer now than it was during the party, like an arctic lake where you could see down all the way to the sand. She was in love with Qrow, and there wasn't very much she could do about that aside from hope he loved her back and to nod her head slowly.

"I need to get the girls ready for another therapist, which might take a bit of work. A lot of work. But… I- uh, I think I like you a lot. So, just, I don't really know what to do with that. I've never really dated anyone before or even kissed anyone else, so I might be bad at this for a while," she babbled on, her mind so occupied with the nothings she was saying that she didn't even notice him cupping her cheek until it had already happened.

Once she noticed his hand cupping her face, she stopped talking and focused on the feeling of his warm and callused hands that smelled like oil and cologne. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of his hand on her skin, Winter could have stayed like that for hours. A moment later she felt a marvelous shock run up and down her spine and her lungs take in a deep breath as she felt their lips touch for the first time in far, far too long.

Both of their lips were chapped and dry, and Winter still had the bitter taste of blood on the back of her throat, but none of that stopped the heat and electricity bouncing back and forth between them. Winter's mind was totally blank as she focused on this moment, on the passion that was burning in her heart.

Qrow tasted like fresh coffee and mint gum, and it was intoxicating. Winter reached out desperately and wrapped her fingers in Qrows hair, pulling him closer to her like he was the only thing in the world that mattered.

She felt his hands move away from her face and around her back, wrapping his arms around her strongly and pulling her against his chest as he could. All of the stress from her day, all her worries in general, melted under the heat Qrow was feeding inside of her. Her mind felt like mush, hardly able to think anything other than the word _more_.

The kiss got longer and it got deeper, both of them pushing things farther and farther. Winter didn't wanna stop, she knew he didn't either, but her lungs were burning and they both pulled away for a quick breath. Neither one of them moved far though, and Winter leaned forward and pressed her forehead onto Qrows, both of them smiling at each other, Winter giggling.

Winter closed her eyes and moved her hands all around Qrows hair, knowing it was gonna be looking wilder after she was done. She wondered if anyone would say anything about it. But then again, she didn't really care if anyone did. She was happy, messing up his hair while he sat there and enjoyed it.

As much as Winter was loving this, now that her blood had gotten a moment to cool off, there was something sitting in the back of her mind that she had to talk about. It was something she'd been meaning to talk to Qrow about, but finding the right time to bring it up had been a bit difficult with everything that had been going on in their lives.

Winter stopped her petting and Qrow opened his wide and curious eyes. He saw the look on her face and knew something was wrong, "What is it?" Qrow asked her seriously, his hand moving up and capturing her own, bringing a blush to her face.

"Qrow, I know this is random, but what exactly do you know about Blake?"

**-Authors Note-**

**This was hopefully a pretty good relaxing chapter after last week, and I hope you guys have had a good time. There's not gonna be too many more chapters, definitely 2, maybe 3 if the next chapter gets to be too long. But we're almost there! **

**Thanks to everyone who has been leaving comments, they really do make my day and it's always so awesome to see what everyone thinks! I'll always take more though! Alright, see you guys next week!**


	55. Chapter 55

"Do you think it would be ok if we stopped by my place?" Winter asked Qrow, looking up at him as they sailed through the twisting halls of the hospital, the smell of antiseptic was heavy in the air and Winter was glad to finally be leaving.

"Maybe if you'd said please, but since you didn't I'm not sure we can fit it into the schedule," Qrow heckled lightly, his hand reached out and found a comfortable place on Winter's shoulder. Winter appreciated the gesture, but his arm was awfully close to the sour faced nurse who was pushing her wheelchair.

"I was almost abducted and in a car crash, I don't have to say please," snickered Winter as they got in the elevator, the sickly sweet smell of medicine disappeared only to be replaced by an odd damp odor that smells like wet dog and was permeating from somewhere in the elevator, but Winter had no idea where.

As the elevator descended, Winter looked down at her legs and took stock of what she was wearing. After she and Qrow told the doctor they were leaving, this sour nurse burst into her room pushing a wheelchair and thrusting a bundle of clothes into Winter's arms that she'd never seen before in her life.

She was wearing an old pair of sweatpants that seemed to be two sizes too big for her, because after every few steps she took in them she had to stop and pull them up. She learned that after giving a woman who had been talking to a nurse an eyeful of her underwear…

Winter also had on a blue shirt with a sports logo on it that was about three times too big for her. Winter had no idea what the team's name was or even what sport they played, but she at least hoped they were good.

Winter had a striking suspicion that the nurse had grabbed an armful of random clothes from the lost and found for her. But judging from how the woman seemed only able to communicate through unhappy grunts, Winter was glad she'd gotten this much.

The dress that Winter had been wearing was still somehow in one piece, but she didn't exactly feel comfortable wearing something that revealing while leaving the hospital. Instead, it was sitting in a plastic bag that was around Qrows wrist, getting thrown around like it was a toy, and getting God knows how many wrinkles in it. But it was sort of fun watching him throw it around. Maybe she should ask for a turn…

The elevator door opened and the three of them set out down the back halls of the hospital to the back exit. These halls were nearly abandoned, but still had the occasional nurse quickly walking with charts and medicine in hand.

Winters had forgotten the dress and was now gazing happily at Qrows messy hair, with more than a little satisfaction, when a thought struck her so hard it knocked her jaw to the floor, "Wait, Qrow, how are we supposed to get anywhere when we don't have a car?" Winter cried out in a panic, looking around as if there might be a car sitting in the halls that they could take.

"You didn't tell her how you're getting home? Great job," The sour nurse remarked, her tone annoyed and sharply sarcastic. Qrow looked annoyed and ready to give her a verbal beatdown, but Winter met his eyes and gave him a pleading look. The two of them had a silent conversation in a moment, ending in Qrow backing down and relaxing. Not to say that Winter wasn't miffed, but she really didn't want the nurse 'accidentally' throwing her out of the wheelchair.

"No, it hadn't really come up before now," Qrow said slowly and deeply, clearly wanting to say a lot worse and a lot more to the nurse. "But you don't have to worry, Snowflake. I made a few calls and everything's been taken care of,"

"Really? Who'd you call?" Winter wondered as they came closer and closer to the exit, a handful of faces coming to mind.

Qrow didn't say anything, but he did walk ahead of them so he could open up the door for her, letting in a huge gust of wind that forced her to squint her eyes. Her vision was blurry, but outside of the hospital, she could make out three figures. There was a tall one and two shorter ones, with one of the shorter ones having blonde hair and the other red. When Winter saw the red, her heart soared, knowing exactly who was standing there.

The bombastic redhead surged towards her like a cannonball, throwing her arms around Winter with enough force that the wheelchair would have tipped over if not for the nurse.

"We were so worried about you! You didn't come back for so long, then we heard those sirens and got so scared! Then the party ended but you still hadn't come back! We all tried to call you a million freaking times but you never picked up, so James called Qrow, and eventually, he got through, but God! That must've been so scary! Are you ok?" balled Amy, tears spilling down her face like the rain in a tsunami, getting Winters's new shirt wet. Not that Winter noticed, who was too busy wrapping her arms around Amy, crying almost as hard as the redhead.

"You really know how to make people worry about you, that's for sure," Glynda chuckled as she walked over, reaching out and wrapping Winter in a deceptively firm hug that left her feeling warm and light after. The three of them hung there, warmth flowing between them, as the boys looked at them unsure of what to say or do, but feeling happy anyway.

"I expect you'll be taking some time off after this little incident to recover? What was that? A whole week? Wow, I never thought you'd ever agree to something like that, Winter!" James said after the three girls calmed down a bit, separating and drying their tears.

"James, I don't really think I need-"

"Wow, you wanna take another week off? Well, if you insist, then how could I say no?" He asked sternly, a glint of amusement in his eyes as he watched her struggle to find a way to fight him.

"Alright, you made your point," Winter submitted sadly, admitting defeat against her mentor.

"Glad to hear it. I'm also glad you're safe and sound. Not sure what I would've done with myself if something happened to you," He said standing in front of her, holding his hand out, almost like he was asking for a dance.

Winter looked around to the three friends around her and felt her heart flip in her chest, and would have felt more tears at the edges of her eyes if she hadn't just cried her eyes out.

"Thanks for worrying about me, guys," Winter grinned with a trembling bottom lip and red blotchy eyes as she reached out and grabbed James' hand. The tremors and shakes had long since died away, but her muscles were still weak and sore and refused to cooperate. Winter fought and forced herself to her feet. She swayed in the cold wind, like old branches in a storm, but she stayed standing.

The cranky nurse took the wheelchair and left after that, complaining about the cold or something else, but Winter failed to catch what.

James looked at her with pride, and Winter saw him reach out, almost as if he was going to hug her. Winter understood what he was doing, but she didn't care. She wanted a hug from him damn it, so she dropped his hand and wrapped her arms around him and squeezed with everything she had.

He was stiff for a moment but relaxed ever so slightly after a moment. He wrapped his hands around her back and held her gently. "I know I already said this, but thanks for everything," Winter tried to whisper to him, but she was pretty sure everyone else had heard her.

"I just helped you along, you did all the big stuff yourself," He told her warmly. A hug was a small gesture, and maybe it meant nothing at all to him, but it meant the world to Winter, more than she could ever express with words.

In the blink of an eye, the two of them had separated and were standing a foot apart, almost awkwardly, but not quiet. Something was stronger between the two of them now, and they both knew it, and they were both glad for it.

It was about this time that Winter noticed Amy looking at Qrow intensely, her eyes aggressively scanning him up and down.

"Amy, you alright?" Winter asked curiously while Qrow tried his best to ignore her piercing gazes.

"... So this guy is Qrow?" Amy questioned, pointing her thumb accusingly at Qrow.

"I am. Nice to meet ya," He said with fake confidence as he held out his hand for her to shake. Amy looked at it for a second, then into Qrows eyes. He didn't turn away from her, instead, he matched her stare and stood firmly against her.

Amy did the next logical thing and hit Qrows arm as hard as she could.

"Ow! What the hell was that for?" He cried out, Rubbing the spot a big bruise would surely pop up in a few hours.

"That's for making my friend so sad! Jerk!," fumed Amy as she crossed her arms and walked away from Qrow and over to Winter, grabbing her arm possessively.

"Come on, Winter, let's leave this nimrod alone. If he wants to break your heart then that's fine, you don't need him! Qrow already told us you need a place to stay, so you're coming home with me," Amy explained, dragging Winter along for a few steps before Winter dug her heels into the snow and ground them to a halt.

"Actually, Amy, we talked about it, and I'm…" Winter stopped talking, her face suddenly felt a lot warmer than it had a few moments earlier, "I'm gonna be staying with Qrow," She said happily, a smile growing on her lips before she knew what was happening.

Amy stopped and turned around, her eyes going from Winter to Qrow, who was still rubbing his arm. Amy's face twisted into a smile and her eyes shimmered in the moonlight as she walked over to Winter and leaned in close to her ear, whispering so softly Winter hardly heard her, "Seems like you're gonna be enjoying your two weeks off,"

Winter was confused, but when realization dawned on her, she turned into a stuttering mess. Sounds came out of Winters's mouth as she tried to explain how she'd never do such things, they almost sounded like words, but they came out more like a bunch of unintelligible nonsense mixed with animal calls.

"He's really cute though," Amy winked at Winter as she sauntered over to Qrow happily. Qrow took a step away from her and put up his hands as a defense, but Winter knew even a trained soldier didn't stand a chance against Amy when she was pissed off.

"Just so you know, if you hurt her, I'll end you," Amy said cheerfully, holding out her hand for him to take, "But until that happens, you're ok in my book,"

Qrow eyed her down carefully, making sure there wasn't any sign of a trap. But after he gave the all clear, his shoulders relaxed, and his eyes became softer. The shadows of a smile was even on his face. "Thanks. From what I've heard, you're a pretty great friend. Good to meet ya," Qrow said happily as he took hold of her hand. Amy took his back, and all was well. But then a darkness came over her face, and Winter flinched, thinking she heard Qrows fingers snap.

"I'm a pretty great friend, but I'm an even worse enemy. Don't mess with my girl, and we'll be fine though, 'kay?" Amy chirped as she let go of Qrows hand, which was a good few shades redder now.

Qrow touched his hand gingerly, nodding. "Don't worry, if I messed this up I deserve the worst you have to give me and more," He laughed, forgetting his hand for a moment. Amy looked at him and smiled honestly. Winter knew then he'd earned at least some Amy's approval.

"First your landlord and now her, your friends have some crazy grip strength," Qrow whispered to Winter, making her snort as she tried to hold in her laughter.

"So now that we're all caught up, where's Harbinger, Jimmy?" Qrow asked, walking over to Winters's side and setting his hand on her waist. It made Winter feel a little embarrassed, but it also made her feel warmed and cared for. Pictures of what Amy had said flashed in her mind, and suddenly his hand felt low on her waist…

"Harbin-What? Wait, the car? Oh, right, how could I forget, Harbinger," James sighed, clearly not amused with the name.

"Right? I told him it sounds like a high school Sophomore named it," Winter chuckled as they made their way across the parking lot after James.

"Can't say I disagree," James laughed, his hand now mixed with Glyndas.

They reached the slick black car soon enough, and Winter heard Qrow let out a breath of relief as James dropped the keys into his hand. "She handles like a dream," He said, patting Qrows shoulder.

"Trust me, I know. I'm just glad you didn't crash it," He smiled at James, who looked annoyed but unsurprised at Qrows words.

"You really had faith in me, huh?" James told him sarcastically.

"Nope. I know how you drive Jimmy, I could've sworn you'd crash into something on the way here," Qrow laughed as he unlocked the car and helped Winter into her seat.

"Qrow, that was a long time, I've gotten much better since then. Haven't I, Glynda?" He asked his wife hopefully.

Glynda turned away from him and started whistling quietly to herself, not saying a word. James looked at her shocked and broken before turning to Qrow, defeated. "It seems even my very own sweet, loving wife agrees with you…" He sighed, broken, before turning and looking at Winter with a bit more hope, "Amy took your car back to your apartment, so you don't have to worry about a thing," He smiled at her while Glynda came over and wrapped her arm around his waist lovingly. After he noticed her he returned the favor with pleasure.

"Make sure you keep us updated, I wanna know the second anything happens," Glynda said sternly and lovingly, exactly like her mom used to. Winter nodded to her, happy.

"Text me his address, I'll come visit soon!" Amy shouted, grabbing Winter's hand through the window.

"I'll see you guys soon, thanks so much for everything," Winter smiled at them, looking Amy, Glynda, and James in the eyes, hoping they could see exactly how much she appreciated everything they did for her. In a way, they care about her more than some of her real family does, and she couldn't have been more grateful for them.

Qrow started the engine, drawing her attention away from her friends as she turned to him. He had a gleeful smile on his face as his hands grabbed the wheel tightly, clearly antsy to get going and to drive his baby.

Amy, Glynda, and James waved goodbye to her, each of them trying to say some kind of goodbye to her, but she couldn't catch any of the words. She knew that whatever they were saying was filled with love though, and that was more than enough. Winter wanted to say something back to them, but nothing came to mind. So she waved at them and smiled, glad to have them in her life.

Qrow turned out of the parking lot and drove quickly, but not at the absurd speeds he did the last time he'd driven her somewhere. Whether that was because he was becoming a safer driver or because of the snow, Winter had no idea, and she was too afraid to ask. She'd know for sure when the spring came.

The moment that thought came to her head she felt a whirlwind of butterflies in her belly and a huge unstoppable smile on her face. They had a future together, and that was… That was an amazing thought.

Now that she was letting herself think of their future, something she'd never given herself the luxury of doing before, she was bombarded with countless visions of what might come. Trips they'd take in the summer, holiday parties, Yangs boxing matches, playing dumb games with Ruby and Qrow, and even lazy Sundays together. It all sounded too good to be true.

Almost to prove to herself that the past few hours hadn't been some sort of dream, she reached out and touched Qrows shoulder. His eyes flicked to her, flashing her one of his signature smiles before he looked back to the road.

"You're really beautiful," Qrow told her out of the blue, catching Winter more than a little off guard.

"Really?" Winter asked him sheepishly, the butterflies were stronger than ever now.

"I've thought that since the day we found you sleeping on the highway. You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. I've never really had a chance to tell you that before, so there it is I guess," He blushed, his eyes glued to the road, either too focused on the road or too nervous to look at her.

Winter leaned over and planted a small kiss on his cheek, grinning when she pulled away, proud of herself. "You're pretty good looking yourself," She said coyly and with more confidence than she really felt.

They talked about this and that, a relaxing energy in the air as they drove. Winter felt awkward in the car after the crash, but she wasn't scared. It didn't hurt that she was with Qrow either. They pulled into the parking lot of her building after a few more minutes.

Winter got out of the car slowly and with a lot of effort and a little help from Qrow when her own muscles couldn't do the job. They walked into the building hand in hand, ignoring the light snowfall that surrounded them.

Sitting at the front table, with his feet on the table and the crossword book open over his snoring chest, sat Earl. Winter walked over to him with Qrow standing a few feet back, doing his best to give them a little privacy. She shook him lightly until he opened his eyes and smiled at her.

"Well someones back late, can I take it that everything went well?" Earl asked before a long and deep yawn escaped from his lips and he stretched his arms high over his head. Winter thought about explaining everything to him now, but now wasn't the time for that. But she would, soon.

"It did, actually. Qrows here now, and I'm gonna go stay with him for a while. I'll be back in a few days, so don't forget about me, ok?" She told him happily, looking over at Qrow.

Earl nodded contently, his eyes less than half open now. "I'm glad to hear that, kid. Go have fun with him, he seems like a nice guy. Just not too much fun, ok?" He chuckled before leaning back in his chair and closing his eyes, leaving Winter a blushing mess.

"Earl, it's not like- Well it is, but you don't have to say it like that!" Earl laughed lightly before the only thing coming from his lips was snores. Winter sighed, but couldn't help but smile at him. Her cheeks were actually starting to hurt from how much smiling she was doing, and she had to wonder if Yang and Ruby ever felt the same way.

She and Qrow walked over to the elevator, which opened right up for them. They stood in the elevator, not needing to say anything as they held hands. The door opened before they knew it and soon they were back in her apartment.

"Did I ever tell you how much I love this place? So quiet, and nice, and quiet," Qrow told her as he tossed her dress on the kitchen table before he jumped onto her couch. He laid down with his hands behind his head looking relaxed.

"Really? Well, maybe we should bring Ruby and Yang over next time," Winter joked.

"If you're ok with two kids running around and breaking everything, be my guest," He hummed, his eyes closed now.

"Maybe that wouldn't be such a bad thing, this place needs a bit more life," Winter smiled, realizing how nice that actually sounded. She left Qrow by himself and walked into her room, grabbing a backpack and packing anything she might need over the next couple days.

She also grabbed a few… Extra things with a cheeky grin, making sure they were well hidden in her backpack. She moved in a daze through her room, grabbing shirts, pants, toothbrushes, combs, socks, and a handful of other odds and ends that she probably wouldn't need.

It was twenty minutes before Winter came out of her room with a heavy backpack on her shoulder, swaying as her eyes started to close on their own. she was dressed in her Firestarters shirt and a pair of black basketball shorts, glad to finally be in something that was actually hers. As she walked into the room, she had the urge to do something odd that she couldn't really explain.

For the first time in… well, she had no idea how long, Winter let her hair free and didn't try to tie it down with anything. She didn't try and put it in a bun, have one lockout, and she didn't even want it in a ponytail. No, Winter wanted her hair to be itself for once. It went most of the way down her back and got in the way a lot more often than it didn't, and Winter always felt self conscious about it, and like everyone around her judged her. So, she kept it up.

But now that she knew Qrow, knew herself, she didn't really care about having her hair down anymore. Heck, she might even let it down more often now.

Winter saw Qrow breathing lightly on her couch, fast asleep. She looked at him and felt… Something warm, and caring inside of her that made her want to reach out and hold him. When she walked over to him though, Winter felt her exhaustion hit her like a train. She didn't wanna sleep yet but knew that there wasn't any fighting it anymore.

In her last real moments of thinking, she pulled out her phone and set an alarm for a few hours before dropping it on the ground without a second thought.

Winter slowly and delicately crawled onto the couch with Qrow, trying to find a position she felt wasn't crushing him. She ended up in an odd position with one leg over both of his while her right arm rested on his chest, feeling his strong and steady heartbeat. Her left arm was above her head at an odd angle that felt weird, but it let her fingers play with his hair, so she kept it where it was.

She leaned her head onto Qrows chest and took a deep breath, enjoying the sweet scent of oil and his aftershave. Two breaths in and her muscles were relaxed and her eyes were heavier than they'd ever been. As the fog of sleep started to take over her, she felt Qrows arm wrap around her and pull her closer.

The last thing Winter felt before falling over the edge of consciousness was how warm Qrow was and how safe he made her feel, how happy he made her. Then she fell hard and went into the deepest sleep she'd ever experienced. She welcomed it with open arms, glad that of all the ways her day could have ended, it ended with her sleeping in Qrows arms.

For the first time in her life, Winter knew that this was exactly where she was supposed to be.


	56. Chapter 56

Winter's eyes fluttered open slowly, a feeling of peace filled her body along with early morning grogginess. She could feel Qrows arm wrapped around her side holding her tight, so she didn't try to move, not that she wanted to. Winter listened to Qrows steady heartbeat, looking up at his face as she did. He was still asleep, his eyes closed and a dreamy smile floating on his lips.

Winter grinned, as an idea popped into her head. She slithered out of Qrows grip, crawling slowly up his body, making sure to keep as much of her weight off of him as possible. Both of her knees were pressed into the couch and her hands were on either side of his head as she looked down at his sleeping form with a glint of mischief in her eyes.

A roar of emotions filled her belly as she leaned in and captured his lips in hers. She felt embarrassed, excited, hopeful, anxious, and so happy as she reached a hand up to cup his sleeping face.

It didn't take long for Qrow to wake up and realize what was going on. She felt his hands start to glide up and down her back, leaving a trail of goosebumps behind as they moved.

The kiss was getting more intense now, with both of them leaning into it. Winter was playing with his hair, Qrows hands were firm on her hips, and when she felt him bite her lip, she trembled.

"Merry Christmas Snowflake," he whispered to her as they pulled away, both of them breathing more than a little heavily. She tried to trail after him, hungry for his touch, but the hands he had on her hips were firm and kept her from chasing after him.

"Qrow, it was just getting good," Winter pouted, the tips of her fingers moving up his chest. He sat up slowly, moving her with him so she was sitting in his lap facing him. She put her arms around his neck and moved to kiss him again, but once again he stopped her.

"I know, I know. But I don't wanna rush doing that sort of stuff, and we have to get back to the girls" he explained with a shrug and a smile.

Winter blushed, embarrassed with exactly how willing she had been to rush it. She agreed with him, but still. "Your hair looks really, really good by the way," Qrow told her as he reached out and started to run his hands through her messy, knotted, bedhead.

"My bedhead does not look good," Winter scoffed as her body melted at his touch, "Your bed head looks incredible though," she complimented as she reached her hand up, playing with it some more.

"Eh, maybe you don't like it, but I love it. It's cute on you," he whispered as he leaned in and gave her a kiss right on her blushing cheek. "Come on, we have some brats to see," Qrow groaned, not making a move to get up.

"What?" Winter wondered, looking at him curiously.

"Win, you're on my lap," he laughed, patting her hips.

"Oh. You're strong, why don't you just pick me up?" Winter teased with a wink after she realized where she was sitting. She was about to move off of him when she felt him grab her legs tightly and heaved them both into the air in one quick movement.

"Was that good enough for you?" He grinned as he looked down at Winters wide eyes.

"I didn't actually-" Winter started, but right then Qrow leaned forward and planted a hard kiss on the crook of Winter's neck. Now, Winter had done a little bit of… research, on this sort of stuff. She was human after all. But something about that kiss took her breath away and would have made her legs give out if she'd been standing.

But, once again, Qrow cut things short. Not only did he pull away, but he also put her down on her wobbly legs so fast that they almost did give out on her. "Not cool, Qrow! This better not be a usual thing!" Winter complained, wanting him to come back as he walked away laughing. Right then, the alarm on her phone started blaring on the ground, making Winter jump about three feet in the air, all the while Qrow was wheezing with laughter at her face. "Jerk," Winter called out with a smile as she let out a laugh right alongside him.

There weren't many mornings that Winter could consider perfect, but so far this was shaping up to be one of those lucky few.

The morning moved quickly after that. Winter showered, punching Qrow, finished packing, all happened in record time. Not too long after that the two of them were on the elevator heading to the lobby. Winter had a backpack she'd flung on her shoulders while Qrow was dragging around her suitcase. She wasn't sure if he was doing it because the doctor had told her no heavy lifting or if he was just being nice, but either way, she appreciated it.

As soon as the door opened, Winter walked over excitedly to the desk holding a small gift wrapped in bright blue paper with a bow on it. "Merry- oh," Winter said softly, looking up and realizing that Earl wasn't at the desk.

She stood there, shocked, until Qrow came over and tapped her on the shoulder. "Everything good?" He asked, not sure what was so surprising about an empty desk.

"Don't know. Earl's always been here. Like, always. This is the first time I haven't seen him here," mumbled Winter, her mind rushing with possibilities and horrible outcomes.

"It is just after sunrise. Crazy idea, but maybe he's sleeping? Or maybe he's spending time with his family? It is Christmas after all"

"Maybe. I guess that makes sense. Still, I was hoping to talk to him before I left," Winter lamented, her heart heavy.

"Don't worry, you'll see him soon enough. Hell, if you wanted we could come and check it out tomorrow," He smiled, managing to lift her spirits as nobody else could.

She walked around his desk, gift in hand, and was about to put it on his chair when she noted a note sitting there with her name written on it. Curiously, she picked it up and read. _Winter, I'm visiting family for the day so don't call the cops or anything. Have fun at your boyfriend's house -Earl._

It was simple, but the fact that he thought about her when writing this made her day. In the desk she found a piece of paper and a blue pen, quickly leaving a note of her own. _I can never thank you enough for how kind you've been to me, and I hope this helps express that at least a little. -W._

Then she set the gift down on his chair, right where his note had sat. The gift was a large book of crossword puzzles that she hoped he didn't have yet. It wasn't much, but she couldn't think of anything else he'd like or use.

Winter couldn't help but giggle as she walked away, a little sad she wouldn't be there when he opened it, but happy about the gift nonetheless. She was humming as she walked up to Qrow, grabbed his hand tightly before leading them towards the exit doors.

"What did you get him?"

"It's a secret," Winter chirped happily.

"I'm gonna guess it's a secret I don't get to know?" He wondered as Winter nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, that's about right," He sighed, but his face was smiling while he looked down at Winter's grinning face.

As she opened the door she felt the crisp morning air seep into the building and rush around her and Qrow like water. The sun was low in the air, illuminating the city in rays of twisting golden light as a light snowfall dancing down from the dimly lit sky. It was breath-taking and the two of them took their time strolling to the car, enjoying the view.

The car ride was slow going and peaceful, with the radio full of old Christmas songs. My two front teeth, Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer, the little drummer boy, and all the rest played as the two of them laughed and sang together all the way to Qrows house.

The neighborhood was silent as the two pulled in, with nobody walking dogs, playing, and not even a single kid screaming in joy for their presents. It seemed like everyone was either asleep or still except for Qrow and Winter. But what the neighborhood was lacking in noise, it more than made up for in decorations.

There were reindeer, Santas, elves, snowmen, and lights from bright blues to the darkest reds shimmering in the morning twilight. Maybe a little bit shockingly, Qrow's house was by far the best.

There were lights decorating every window sill, reds, and greens criss-crossing across the gutters. There were four huge snow people in the yard, one for each of the girls, Qrow, and then a small one who she guessed was supposed to be Maria. There was even a plastic reindeer sitting on the roof

It wouldn't have been a shock to her if she was told that Ruby had come up with everything, but it also wouldn't have been too much of a shock if Qrow had either. It didn't really matter though, because she was sure it was a team effort no matter what, so she took her time taking in every strand of lights as she walked. Qrow was right beside her, eating up her wonder and joy with a deep grin.

"Do you like it? Took a whole day to get it all set up,"

"Yeah, I really do. Huh, it didn't really feel like Christmas until right now for some reason," Winter admitted looking up at the shimmering lights.

"I know what you mean. If I was by myself I probably wouldn't even know it was Christmas. There were a few years like that actually. But with the girls here I don't think I'll ever forget it again," He chuckled, as he looked at the lights, his hand now in Winter's.

_I wonder if that'll ever happen to me,_ Winter thought to herself excitedly as Qrow leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. Winter grinned as Qrow walked ahead of her and opened the door wide for her.

When they walked into the house it became crystal clear that everyone else was fast asleep with how silent the room was. The only two things making noise in the house were the sounds of two softly snoring girls… And a woman who was snoring so loudly that Winter was sure the foundation of the house must've been shaking.

After taking off their shoes, the two walked into the living room and found exactly where the noises had been coming from. On the big chair, sounding like a chainsaw cutting into a rock, was Maria wrapped in a thick brown blanket.

The girls were asleep on the couch. Ruby was laying on her belly, half her face mashed into the couch with a line of drool going down the leather with Zwei sleeping at her feet. Yang had her legs half on Ruby's back and half on the couch as she leaned back with her head on the armrest of the couch. They both had thin blankets on them, courtesy of Maria, and looked utterly peaceful.

Winter tore her eyes away from the scene and looked at Qrow, who looked starstruck. His eyes were glued to them and glowing with compassion and love, it was as easy to see as his eye color.

Winter was at a crossroads. She wanted to wake the girls up and to shower them in gifts, but she also wanted to keep watching them sleep. But before any of that, there was something she had to see.

"I'll be back," She whispered to Qrow, who nodded at her seriously, knowing what she was going to do.

"Come get me if you need anything," he told her calmly before he headed upstairs, taking her suitcase with him. Winter noticed that he only used one arm to lift up the heavy bag, and for the millionth time that day, she realized how lucky she was. After Qrow disappeared, Winter took a deep breath and steadied herself as she walked down the hallway to Yang's room.

Yang's door was closed tight, and when she tried to open it, it was locked. Winter took a step back and anxiously waited a moment before carefully knocking, "Blake?" She whispered, softly enough so only someone in the room could hear. She leaned forward and pressed her ear against the door.

Winter strained her ears to pick up even the slightest noise, but after a minute there was still nothing. She sighed, realizing that she must've gotten something wrong. She was about to move when she heard the high pitched creak of a bed and the fluttering of nervous feet coming closer to the door.

There was nothing for a moment, as if the person on the other side of the bed was thinking, and then she heard the lock clack open. Winter quickly stood up, trying to look like she hadn't been listening as hard as she'd been, as the door slowly started to open. Standing on the other side of the door was the black haired mystery, Blake Belladonna, looking sheepish and scared.

"Hey," The girl said in a barely trembling voice. She was dressed in a pair of gray pajama pants and a black t-shirt, and Winter noticed a book lying open on the bed. Blake took a few steps back into the room and stood there for a moment. But then she started to pace around the room, apparently too anxious to stop, even though her face was calm and collected. Winter saw the girl's eyes flick to the window, and could see what she was thinking.

"It's ok, you don't have to worry," Winter assured her as she closed the door behind her, making sure it didn't make too much noise. Blake looked less than reassured as she crossed her arms in front of her defensively and kept as much distance between the two of them as possible.

Winter walked over to the bed and sat down next to the book and took a look at the cover, not daring to touch it. "Catcher in the rye? I love that book," Winter said excitedly as she looked at the cover. The book was old and well worn, with more than a few pages starting to come loose from the spine. "I'm guessing you're a pretty big fan yourself?" She smiled, and Blake shrugged. Winter waited for the girl to say something, but sighed when the silence persisted, knowing it was time to get serious.

"Blake, we need to talk. Your parents miss you,"

Blake stiffened at the mention of her parents, her eyes growing thin and angry. "You don't know anything," Blake cautioned, her voice filled with disdain.

"I might not know everything, but I know a little. Five months is a long time to be gone from home, Blake. I met them and I can see how much they miss you" emphasized Winter, sadness and worry seeping into her voice.

"Miss me? Those two don't miss me. They never have and never will, no matter what nonsense they try and tell you," Blake said heatedly, clenching her fists.

"They told me how worried about you they are, they even said that they've been doing badly at work because of how much they've been worrying," Winter was talking honestly and truthfully, but something about what she said made Blake snap.

Her eyes flared and Winter could see how hard she clenched her jaw in anger. "Shut the hell up! You think you know what you're talking about but you don't! They don't miss me, they probably didn't even realize I was gone until you stuck your nose where it didn't belong! I told Yang and Ruby not to tell you, I trusted her!" Blake screamed, tears at the edges of her eyes, her breathing heavy.

"Yang didn't tell me anything. I overheard you guys talking during Halloween. If anything you told me," Winter admitted, still feeling bad for eavesdropping. Blake seemed to relax a little after realizing Yang hadn't broken her trust.

"Then how did you find out about my parents?" Blake asked, her voice still quaking, but there was less rage there now at least.

"Blake, hun, if you're gonna come up with a fake name, you should really come up with something a little less on the nose," Winter chuckled lightly, while Blake looked away silently.

"I guess it wasn't my best. I thought you were just some random person at that boxing match, how was I supposed to know you knew Yang?" Blake said defensively. Winter wanted to laugh a little but kept herself in check. She did let herself smile a bit wider though.

"You could have asked," Winter offered up, only getting an embarrassed sideways glance from the girl.

"So, is this the part where you drag me back home?" gritted Blake, her fists getting tense again.

"Blake, if I tried to force you to do anything I feel like Yang would probably kill me," Blake let out a small chuckle after that line but stiffened up the moment after. "I'm not gonna force you to do anything. After Halloween, I went home and played a hunch and put a few names through this system we have at my work. Eventually, I got a hit on you," Winter explained, watching as Blake slowly let her arms down. "I got in contact with your parents and got to talk to them,

"You met them?" Blake choked, sounding uneasy.

"Yeah, I did. I asked a caseworker friend of mine to help me out, so she set up a meeting. We talked for a while, and I got to know them and their side of the story. They seemed… Distant, at first. But the more we talked the sadder they got until they broke down crying," Blake looked shocked, almost touched by her parents' reaction.

"God, I knew this would happen. I told Yang I shouldn't have hung out so much, but she said it would be fine. I knew someone would see me and tell them where I'm at," Blake sounded almost defeated when she talked, and Winter saw some of herself in those golden eyes.

Blake didn't wanna go home. She was scared and had been beaten down so many times in one way or another that she was sick of fighting. The more Winter thought about it, the more she realized she probably would've done the same thing Blake had done. If her father hadn't found her diploma, she almost certainly would've run away on her own sooner or later. Actually, it would've been sooner. Hell, the two of them even ran into the sisters and Qrow and got swooped up in their crazy energy.

"I told them you were safe and that I had some information, but I didn't tell them where you are," Winter told her simply, catching Blake totally off guard. The girl stopped pacing and finally turned to look Winter in the eyes.

"You didn't? Why not?" She asked, confused. Winter sighed and leaned back on the bed until the top of her head was resting on the wall.

"Because I didn't know your side of the story. I'd met your parents and heard everything they had to say. But if I know anything, it's that there are two sides to every story, so I wanted to ask you why you left, what they were doing that made you wanna leave in the first place. So here I am. And if you're willing to explain to me, then I'm more than willing to listen," Winter looked over at Blake and watched as the girl thought through her options.

Blake sighed in defeat before walking over to the bed and moving the book, taking its place next to Winter on the bed. "My parents are diplomats from Menagerie. That means they're always coming and going. Sometimes they used to take me, but now they always just leave me at home. Then whenever they were here they didn't care about me. Hey, mom, I just read this cool new book! 'That's nice, dear'. Hey, Dad, do you wanna watch a movie? 'Not right now, Blake,'." Blake stopped talking and drew a shaky breath.

"One day this summer I got sick of it and packed my bags. I left and didn't look back, never even thought about coming home. After that I sort of drifted around I guess, sleeping in beds whenever I found someone nice enough to let me stay and wherever I could find if I didn't. Then, I met Yang…" There was a silly smile on her face that Winter knew all too well. After all, she was sporting the same grin a few hours ago with Qrow.

"I was staying at the community center where her boxing club is when we met. She was so nice, so genuine, and we hung out a lot after that. One day I told her everything, expecting her to never talk to me again. But apparently she'd already guessed most of it, and she said I could stay with her. We were too scared to tell Qrow, so we kept it a secret, but Ruby found out sooner or later. She promised she wouldn't say anything, thankfully. So I've been sharing the bed with Yang since then, and that's pretty much it," Blake sighed, looking thoughtful.

"Sharing the bed?" Winter asked her curiously, to Blakes horror...

"She said that she didn't want me sleeping on the floor, and I didn't want her sleeping on the floor, so we compromised," Blake admitted, "She's really warm, it's nice," Blake said, her face redder than Ruby's wardrobe.

"What do you think?" Blake asked nervously, looking at Winter who was silently thinking.

"I get it," said Winter, nodding to herself.

"Get what?"

"Why you left. I get it. Honestly, I totally would've done the same thing," She confessed with a small laugh.

"Y-you would've? Aren't you gonna ask how I could put my parents through something so terrible? How dangerous it was?" Blake asked sarcastically, but Winter shook her head.

"Course not. I'm gonna let you in on a little secret, Blake, my dad's kind of a dick. I know exactly how you could do that because I thought about doing the same thing a million times when I was your age. And it was dangerous, but there's not really much of a point in yelling about it after the fact, is there?" Winter chuckled, sitting up and the bed and turning to look at Blake.

"You were hurting and didn't know what to do. I don't think you ever meant to hurt them, you just wanted them to care. At first, I wasn't sure about them, but they're nice people, Blake. I don't think they realized how much they were hurting you. You must miss them so much," Winter said soothingly.

To her credit, Blake was taking in everything Winter said rather well. But it was clear that she'd pictured some version of this conversation a million times in her head, and it had never gone like this for her.

"Not often… but sometimes I do," said Blake, looking down at the ground sadly so her hair was covering her eyes.

"Do you wanna see them again?"

Blake bit her lip and shook her head no, her hand's fists again.

"It's ok if you wanna see them ya know. I wanna see my dad all the time, even though he's a dick," Winter said with a smile as she reached out and grabbed Blake's hands.

"I really miss them, but I'm still so mad" Blake sniffled as a tear raced down her cheek, quickly followed by another. Winter reached over then and pulled Blake into a tight hug. Blake didn't break down dobbing or anything, but she cried and held onto Winter as months of frustrations finally made their way out of her.

"One step at a time. You've got us in your corner now, so you don't have to do anything you don't wanna. But if you wanna meet them, talk to them, we can do that when you're ready. But it is Christmas, so maybe we can start with a phone call once you're ready? They'd be glad to hear from you," Winter said soothingly as she rubbed Blakes back, holding her as she sobbed.

Blake pulled away from Winter, her face was blotchy and her eyes were red, but she still nodded and wiped her tears away.

"I think that would be a good place to start," Blake agreed, sniffling. "I don't have to go back to them?"

"Not yet. But you and I are gonna talk to them, and hopefully we can get there sooner or later. In the meantime, Qrow's more than willing to take care of you," Winter assured her with a smile.

"Speaking of staying here, how did you know I was? You called my name at the door like you knew I was here," Blake asked curiously, her voice still trembling.

"Oh, that was sort of a hunch. I knew you were friends with Yang and Ruby, and I know neither of those two would let their friend live on the street," It had been a silly idea to her when she'd first thought of it. But the more she thought about it, the more Winter thought it was the case.

"I guess they wouldn't, would they?" Blake asked, cracking a smile before she tried to hide it again. "By the way, I should probably tell you… On halloween, I saw you and Qrow kiss. I thought you saw me for a second, but you never said anything. It was a total accident, I didn't mean to," Blake explained quickly and awkwardly, looking away from Winter.

Winter on the other hand, laughed. "Yeah, I thought someone had seen. Sorry, must've been pretty gross,"

"A little, but… I also heard you turn him down. Are you- did you, ya know?" Blake asked nervously, the blush on her face not having anything to do with the tears from earlier.

"We were never dating, but we liked each other for a long time. At least, I liked him for a long time. But we never dated. That was a pretty boneheaded move on my part though, it would've saved me a lot of trouble if I'd just said yes then," Winter chuckled, scratching the back of her head.

"Oh. Then why didn't you?"

Winter thought, but she already had her answer in mind, "I was scared and confused. I didn't think it would work, so I was too scared to try. But I'm not scared anymore. And you'll be happy to know that the two of us have been dating for," Winter stopped and checked the time on her phone, "About four hours," She said with a huge, toothy smile.

Blake brought her legs onto the bed and wrapped her arms around them shyly, "That's good. I always thought you'd be good together… Was it scary? To tell him how you feel, I mean," Blake asked softly, her face full of anxiety.

Winter put her hand on the girl's shoulder and squeezed, "Terrifying. And it was the best feeling in the world," and those words were true. Blake nodded, looking lighter than Winter had ever seen her.

Winter pulled out her phone and messed with it before handing it to Blake, "This is your parent's phone number. If you wanna call them, I think it would be a good idea. I'll be right outside with everyone if you need me. Oh! And if you could keep that Qrow and I are, uh, dating, secret for a bit? We just wanna wait a little bit before we tell them" Winter chuckled a little awkwardly as she scratched the back of her head.

"Thanks, Winter, and I will. You're really nice by the way, and I really like your hair down like that," Blake stood up to and started to pace around the room as she hit the call button. Winter gave her a thumbs up before walking to the door and closing it just as softly as when she'd entered. What a great Christmas this was turning into, she thought with a huge grin, glad she could help Blake even a little bit. Winter excitedly thought of what else the day would have in store as she walked back to her Qrow and the girls.

**-Authors note-**

**I feel bad, this was supposed to be the last chapter before the epilogue but it ended up being way too long and I felt like I was rushing. So I decided to make it two chapters. So there's next week's chapter and then the epilogue, and then this story's done! I'm happy and sad it's coming to an end, but I couldn't be happier to have so many people experiencing this with me! Also, thanks so much to all of the comments lately, it's been really really incredible and I can't believe it! I hope everyone enjoys the next few chapters, because I'm working really hard on them! See you guys next week!**


	57. Chapter 57

At some point during her short talk with Blake the house had woken up, and now instead of snoring, the halls were filled with quick voices and the sweet smell of bacon cooking on the stove. The smell of the bacon that drifting in from the kitchen was enough to make Winter's mouth water and her stomach growl like an animal.

Maria, was the sole occupant of the living room, sitting in her chair and lazily watching a movie Winter didn't recognize. There was a harsh metallic clang from the kitchen, and with a sigh, Maria grabbed the remote of the table and was about to turn up the volume when she noticed Winter walking down the hall.

"Merry Christmas, Maria. How're you?" Winter asked politely as she took a seat on the couch, ready to enjoy whatever was playing. Some small and far off part of her mind thought about checking in on the mayhem in the kitchen, but she ignored it, knowing that whatever was going on in the kitchen was well beyond her control. In other words, it sounded like a job for Qrow.

"Oh, so now you care about how I'm doing? But last night when I was supposed to be out with my friends, neither of you seemed to care that I had to stay here all night long," Maria spat, turning to the kitchen with a scowl.

"I said I was sorry, something came up. I told you I'd explain it later. Wait, Ruby, no!" Qrow called from the kitchen before there was a crash in the kitchen, followed by the harsh sounds of crackling and popping. A rancid burning smell floated in from the kitchen that Maria and Winter tried their best to ignore.

"I thought you hated Jimmy's parties? What did you call them, Qrow? Too stuffy with too many people in suits?" Maria cackled, before turning to Winter, her voice softer and quieter so nobody else could hear, "Ya know, those girls were waiting for you and Qrow to come home all night. Qrow and I told them you weren't coming, but they didn't seem to care. Sat on the couch all night until they passed out" She told Winter with a hint of a smile on her face now.

"Glad I didn't let them down then," Winter said lightheartedly, even though on the inside she was scared thinking about how close she'd been to breaking their hearts. She'd known that the girls had wanted her here, but for them to wait up all night for her…

"I know this isn't much, but I have a little thank you gift for watching the girls. Well, it was meant to be a Christmas gift, but it can be both," Winter laughed to herself as she reached over and grabbed her bag off the floor where she'd left it.

Maria's eyes were wide as saucers as she watched Winter rummage around the bag, moving colorful boxes around until she pulled one out that was covered in deep blue wrapping paper. Winter held it out for Maria who had a thrilled look on her face.

"At least one of you knows how to treat a woman," she called out loudly enough for everyone in the house to hear before she reached out and took the gift.

"Uncle Qrow knows how to treat a woman! Don't you, Uncle Qrow?" Ruby answered, popping her head out of the kitchen, something yellow sticking to her left cheek.

"Ruby, the stove! Keep your eyes on the stove!" Yang cried out before the blonde yanked Ruby back into the kitchen.

"Thanks, kid, I try my best," Qrow said proudly as he moved his arm into the living room, just out of the girl's view, and lovingly flipped Maria off. Maria snorted out a laugh as she flipped him off back, a grin on her face.

Without wasting any more time, Maria started to rip at the paper in a quick and careful kind of way. Long ribbons of paper fell to the ground, and in a matter of moments, Maria was looking at her gift curiously.

It was a long and thick box that took all of Maria's right hand to hold, a picture of a black and sleek vintage car was printed on the front. "What is it?" She wondered, shaking it up to her ear expecting to hear something.

"It's a car replica. I wasn't sure which one you'd like best, so I sort of went with whatever looked the coolest," Winter admitted, embarrassed, "I hope you like it. I have the receipt if you want a different one though," Winter said hastily, rummaging through the bag again looking for the receipt.

"No no, it's great. I'm not sure how you guessed it, but this was the first car I ever restored back in the day. I love it," Maria told her happily, before getting up and giving Winter a tight hug, "Your gift is in the mail, so just you wait," She told Winter with a grin as she sat back down in her chair, almost cradling the box.

That was the moment when all hell broke loose. There was the shuffle of feet in the kitchen behind them before a sweet symphony of ceramic and glass shattering filled the house, right after followed by a rush of apologies from Ruby. Maria and Winter shared a look, terrified and curious of what was going on in the kitchen, but neither of them daring to turn and look at the disaster.

After a few minutes of cleaning up and getting everything ready again, Ruby ran out from the kitchen in her pajamas, a small apron tied around her neck. It used to be white from the looks of it, but whatever had been on Ruby's face was plastered all over it, making it look like a dull yellow mess. In her hands was a plate of burnt food that was still steaming hot, "I made breakfast! I've always wanted to say that," She grinned before walking over to Maria and handing her the plate, which Winter just then noticed was made of paper.

Maria's eyes flicked to Winter for a moment before she forced a smile and took the plate, terror in her eyes. Yang came out of the kitchen next, looking at her wit's end. She was in her pajamas too, an apron equally stained as Ruby's around her neck, but her hair was messy and knotted, with the tips of her locks coated in something that Winter could only guess was either batter or egg. She still had her trademark smile on her lips and some pep in her step as she held up two plates of food.

"Yup, all credit for this breakfast goes straight to Ruby! So if you have any compliments, or complaints, they can go straight to her," Yang told everyone before handing a plate to Winter.

The food could have been a lot worse. Actually, that was a lie. It couldn't have been much worse. The plate mostly consisted of eggs that had been burned brown and black, singed toast, charred bacon, and hunks of coal that Winter could only assume were meant to be… potatoes?

"Yup! This is my Christmas gift to everyone, so enjoy!" Ruby chirped as she went into the kitchen and grabbed another plate for herself.

Yang sat down on the far end of the couch with her plate, a deep sigh escaping her lips as she melted into the couch, "She blew all of the gift money Qrow gave her on spare parts for something she's building, so she made breakfast to make it even. Qrow and I told her we'd do it, but she insisted. Those freaking puppy dog eyes, man," Yang groaned, knowing there was no way to beat them once you'd fallen under their spell. "She broke two glasses, three plates, and a fork. Don't even ask me how she broke the fork, none of us could figure it out. But there are some bagels in the basement if you wanna sneak away. Plus Qrows making steak later," Yang said as she licked her lips.

"Can Qrow cook steak?" Winter wondered as she grabbed a bit of bacon off the plate, the ash and grease sticking to her fingers.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, he can," Qrow told her with a smug smile as he walked in from the kitchen, plate in hand, and sat to Winters right. She was painfully aware of how his thigh was rubbing against hers.

Qrow'd ditched the suit while she'd been gone, dressing down into something a bit more comfortable. Just like her, he had on a pair of long basketball shorts and a t-shirt. Though his was gray and hers had a tiger jumping through a hoop of fire on it. Aside from that it almost looked like the two of them were matching.

"Did she tell you your gift was in the mail? Told me the same thing last year and I'm still waiting. Is my raise in the mail too?" Qrow teased, making the mistake of taking a bite out of the eggs. His eyes bulged and almost gagged, but he kept it down well enough. "By the way, we saw Cordovin last night,"

Maria raised her eyes at this and cast a glance between the two of them, curious and nervous. Winter could see Maria trying to work out why the two of them were dealing with the police. Winter was grateful when she didn't ask any deep questions with Yang sitting right next to them, "And how's the old crown doing?"

"Alive," Qrow told her unenthusiastically.

"Damn," Maria spat in disappointment. But the look in her eyes told Winter that this conversation was simply put on hold for now.

"Winter!" Ruby squeaked, as she walked back into the room. As she walked in everyone sat up and started eating their food, talking amongst themselves about how good it was. "It's been soooo long! Merry Christmas!" She said as she almost jumped up and down holding her plate. To Winter's surprise, the girl reached out with one arm and quickly wrapped it around her neck for a small hug. It was quick, only a second or two, but it warmed Winter's heart to see this girl, who a few short months ago couldn't even shake someone's hand, willing to give someone a hug like that.

Ruby plopped down on the arm of the couch next to Yang, humming to herself as she started to bite into her food with Zwei begging for scraps at her feet.

"Did everything go ok?" Qrow asked quietly, his voice masked by the movie. He turned his head to look down the hall at the closed door.

"Somehow it did. She's on the phone with her parents right now. I think she'll be going home pretty quickly once we all sit down and have a nice long talk together," she sang, taking a bite of the eggs, and forcing herself to swallow it.

"It's nice of you to let her stay here. I was gonna offer my spare room, but I think she'd be a lot more comfortable here with Yang and Ruby," Winter said, wanting to lean over and give Qrow a peck on the cheek, but forcing herself to stop.

"Ah, so that's what happened," Maria chuckled, hey eagle eyes trained on her, a nefarious and knowing smile on her face, "Don't worry, everyone goes through that phase," She said, shaking with silent laughter while Qrow and Winter both blushed like tomatoes.

"What phase? What happened?" Yang said suddenly, her eyes darting between the three of them.

"Nothing happened, Granny's finally starting to lose it is all," jeered Qrow as the girls laughed. Maria scowled at him for a moment and she looked like she wanted to tear him a new one. But just as she opened her mouth a grin came onto her lips and she kept eating like nothing had happened.

"Blah, this is terrible! It's all burnt and gross! Wait, do you guys like it?" Ruby asked from her perch, looking around the room at a group of guilty looking faces who were still forcing themselves to eat.

"I mean, it's not the best," Yang told her gently, making sure to look anywhere but her sister's eyes.

"Yeah, the bacon's a little… a lot burnt," Qrow added softly.

"Then why the heck are you eating it?" Ruby laughed, setting the plate down on the floor for Zwei, "Next year it'll be tons better, promise! Buuut maybe today we should have… anything else," she said with a smile as she walked into the kitchen.

"There's bagels in the basement! Bring up the whole bag!" Yang yelled as Ruby started to run down the stairs into the basement, "Ugh, I hid them. Wait up Ruby, I'm coming!" Yang said as she got up and walked after her sister, her stomach growling loud enough for everyone to hear.

As soon as the girls were out of earshot, Maria put her fork on her plate before looking at Qrow, "I told you that it would happen. Didn't I say you just had to be patient with her?" Marie asked Qrow in an almost motherly sort of way.

"Yeah, I know you did. Ugh, I hate when you're right, you never let me live it down," Qrow groaned, setting his plate on the ground for Zwei before leaning back into the couch annoyed.

"I like that she was right," Winter told him, a smile on her face and energy bubbling in her belly. She didn't wanna tell either of them how much it meant to her that Maria had wanted them to get together, but over the moon and back was a good way to describe what she was feeling at that moment.

Winter reached out and tilted Qrows face towards her before leaning in and capturing his lips in a firm, warm, kiss. She didn't care about Maria seeing or judging her, she just needed to show Qrow what she was feeling.

"Is this a bad time?" came Blake's voice, breaking the moment as giggles escaped her lips.

Qrow panicked, and jumped across the couch, coughing and pretending to look at the movie like they hadn't just been caught making out.

"It's fine, ya big weenie, she knows. And she's gonna keep it a secret, right Blake?" Winter asked her with a smile that Blake returned in kind.

"Yeah, I get it. You don't have to worry about me," Blake told him reassuringly, but the smirk on her lips didn't give Qrow a lot of hope that this would stay a secret for long.

"Blake? W-what are you doing here?" Ruby chuckled nervously, a big bag of bagels in her hands.

"I invited her over, her parents are out of town. Sorry, I didn't say anything, it was sort of last minute" Yang told them as she walked over to Blake, her voice shaking as she nervously walked over to Blake.

"They already know everything, guys. Thanks for trying though," Blake smiled as she walked over to Winter and handed her back the phone, "Thanks again. That was… nice. I'm not ready to see them yet, but soon," said Blake solidly.

"I'm glad," Winter told her proudly. Something about the way that Blake had talked had sounded concrete to Winter, and she knew without a doubt that things would get better between her and her parents.

Blake started to explain to Qrow why she'd done what she did, with Yang and Ruby throwing in comments here and there to help, but Winter's mind was elsewhere. When she looked around the room at Ruby, Yang, Qrow, and even herself in the reflection of the tv, she couldn't help but wonder if the rest of them would find a similar resolution. Would Ruby or Yang ever really be able to forgive Raven? Should they? Had Qrow already moved past his jerk of a dad? Would she ever be able to forgive her own dad? She had no idea. But when it came to her own situation, as much as she wanted to ignore it, there was a want deep in her belly to talk to him again. She doubted it, but there was still that hope no matter what…

"Do I get a plate?" Blake wondered, sitting down on Winter's left.

Ruby's eyes grew wide as she grinned, "Coming right up!" she called before rushing off back to the kitchen.

"Ruby, we agreed to use the toaster for the bagels!" Yang cried as she ran into the kitchen in an attempt to keep the house from burning down.

"Do you guys wanna open your gifts while we wait?" Winter asked the people sitting to her left and right, both of whom looked thoroughly shocked.

"You got me a gift?" Blake asked her curiously, taking the words right from Qrows mouth.

"I got everyone gifts. Why, do you guys not do that?" Winter looked at Qrow with a raised eyebrow, "We always found our gifts in our rooms when I was a kid, but I don't think that's how most people do it," Winter explained, thinking about Christmas's at the manor.

Winter had always gotten mountains of toys and gifts at the manor, all of them bought by an assistant holding her dad's credit card. She appreciated it all, but she never really cared about any of the gifts. She looked forward to the little moments like breakfast with her parents and Weiss, maybe going on a trip, playing with Weiss and her mom, making snowmen, that's what made Christmas for her.

That being said, Winter loved buying gifts for people. She always put a lot of thought and effort into everyone she bought, and this year was no exception. She pulled out a thick gift wrapped in glittering purple wrapping paper to Blake before handing a small box that was only a few inches long to Qrow.

"You didn't have to do this, Winter. I appreciate it, but I can't accept it," Blake told her sadly before trying to hand it back to her.

"No need to be so proud, just open it, ok? It's Christmas" Winter assured her, pushing the gift back into Blake's hands. With an uncertain smile, Blake set to work on opening it, peeling the tape off rather than ripping into it like Maria.

"Winter, I'm sorry, I didn't think you were comin-" as fast as lighting Winter leaned out and kissed him on the lips, shutting him up, glad that the girls were in the kitchen.

"I don't care. I got this for you because I wanted to, so don't worry about it. You've done enough for me since we've met to last a lifetime, anyway. Now open it." and after a final moment of hesitation, he did.

Qrow popped the lid off of the box and reached inside. In his hands was a thin black metal keychain that looked like it might have been made from some old car part. But in the middle of the metal was the word Harbinger, engraved in cursive.

"Winter, this is awesome, I love it," He said, twisting it around, inspecting it with an excited smile on his face. He leaned in towards her, about to kiss her when he suddenly stopped and recoiled like he'd been hit. When Winter followed his eyes she saw the girls coming in from the kitchen. They heard Blake giggle and Winter felt her face burning. She hoped the girls wouldn't notice.

"A journal?" Blake asked curiously, drawing everyone's attention to her. She was holding a thick leaver book that was bound in string and filled to bursting with blank pages. On the spine of the book was Blake's name, stitched in carefully.

"I knew you liked reading, so I thought you might like something to write your own stories in," Winter told her gladly. In all honesty, it had taken days of looking to find a journal with her name stitched into it like that. But seeing how Blake was buzzing with excitement as she flipped through the pages, it was all worth it.

"I love it, Winter. Thank you" thanked Blake before putting it to the side and giving Winter an awkward sideways hug.

"You guys got gifts from Winter? That's so cool!" Ruby cried out before she raced over and started to look at everyone's gifts.

"Don't worry, you guys got something too," Winter told them happily, reaching into her bag.

"You got us stuff?" Yang asked excitedly, eyes glimmering as she watched Winter pull out a large envelope that was wrapped in red paper and a box that took two hands to hold wrapped in gold.

"You got us stuff?" Ruby mimicked, giving Maria back her replica and turning to look at Winter in awe.

"Of course I did. All of you guys deserve them and a million more," Winter praised, handing the red and gold gifts to Ruby and Yang respectively.

She expected the girls to hesitate all Blake and Qrow, but they were way ahead of her. Ruby and Yang tore into the wrapping paper with reckless abandon, and in a matter of seconds, the paper never stood a chance.

In the middle of the chaos, Winter had grabbed the last gift she had, a small bone, and tossed it to an overly excited Zwei who took it and jumped on the couch. After getting all those scraps for breakfast, he was shocked at how excited he got with it.

Ruby was the first to open her present, finding a yellow envelope that was taped shut. As carefully as someone working on a bomb, Ruby unsealed the envelope, pulling out a thin piece of paper that looked very official. "Wooow, what's this?" She asked excitedly without even reading the paper.

"Well, I know that sometimes going out with tons of people can be a lot, but I thought having a friend with you might help. So I pulled some strings and got Zwei certified as an emotional support dog. That means you can take him with you most places and people have to let you," At the mention of Zwei's name, the dog got up and looked at Winter with a crooked head and his tongue hanging out.

"Wait, so I can take him with me when we go out? To stores and stuff?" Ruby wondered, reading the paper for herself.

"Yup. You can take him into a lot more places too. I'll tell you more about it later though, ok?" Winter assured her. Ruby looked at the piece of paper and set it on the ground before walking over and wrapping Winter in the biggest hug she'd ever gotten.

It wasn't short or nervous like the last one, it was long and drawn out, filled with warmth and care, and Winter loved every second of it. "I love it, you're the best, Winter," Ruby told her before pulling away and picking up Zwei off the couch, bone still in his jaws. "You get to go with me to the hobby shop! Wait, we gotta get you a haircut so you look presentable!" Ruby declared, looking at Zweis fur and thinking about how to style it. He licked his bone, completely unconcerned with whatever she had in store for him.

Yang on the other hand found herself looking down at a cardboard box with absolutely nothing written on it. Using pure strength, the girl tore open the box like it was tissue paper and gasped at what she saw inside; a pair of brand new red boxing gloves.

"I hope they're the right size. I tried my best to find the same style that your dad had, but this is the best I could find. I know those ones are special to you, but I figured they might be getting a little worn out. You don't have to use them if you don't want to-"

"These are so cool Of course I'm gonna use them! With a little more training, next time I'm totally gonna beat Neo with these! Plus now I can hang up dad's old gloves, I think he'd like that," Yang said somberly, excitement emanating from her.

As Yang looked down at the gloves in her hands, feeling the leather, a thought crossed her mind, "You're good at gifts," Yang told Winter with a chuckle, looking around at everyone's nodding faces. "Sorry none of us got you anything, but we'll be sure to get you the best stuff next year!" And everyone in the room nodded, telling her how great their gifts were.

But the praise wasn't what Winter was thinking of, far from it. No, Winter was thinking about the fact that everyone in the room, even Zwei it seemed like, wanted her back next year. The way Yang talked about it made it sound like everyone already assumed she'd be there next year.

She'd help set up decorations, help the girls in the kitchen with breakfast, help Qrow with dinner, get to watch old Christmas movies, and all the rest. It made her heart feel warm and light, it made her want to cry. She felt so… Accepted. In a way that she'd only ever gotten from her sister and her mom. Who would've thought none of this would've happened if her car hadn't broken down?

It also made Winter think of Weiss. How nice it would be to have her here with them and how lonely she probably was at the manor. She wondered if her dad had made it back, or if he'd gone to a work meeting instead of spending Christmas with his daughter.

But at least there was Klein, making her cinnamon rolls like he did every Christmas day. Winter felt homesick then, if only for a moment.

Winter could have convinced her sister to come and stay with her, could have found some reason or another for her to come, that she was sure of. But she knew that it was her sister's choice to stay home, to learn from him, even if it meant being lonely at Christmas. An anxious feeling welled up inside of her chest then, and she felt scared.

Winter would call her sister later and try to get rid of that fear, but now wasn't the time. Right now she was enjoying this moment with people who honestly loved her, and she was gonna enjoy every second of it.

The rest of the morning went by slowly, but also in the blink of an eye. They played games, watched movies, started and abandoned a puzzle, and sang along to good and bad Christmas songs alike.

Qrow moved in and out the room to prep for cooking, and whenever he and Winter managed to find a moment alone in the kitchen, they'd steal kisses, but never for long. Blake started writing in her journal, while Ruby and Yang argued about how to set up their game console.

Qrow managed to sneak away to some secret hiding place and brought back a bag of presents of his own for everyone. Well, everyone except Winter, but she didn't mind in the slightest. Ruby got tools, metal, and a new game that Yang had to force her not to play yet. Yang got makeup and new boxing supplies, but thankfully not new gloves. And Blake even got a handful of new books courtesy of the girls. Well, really it was Yang who'd boughten them, but Ruby had helped pick them out.

Apparently, Qrow had a secret place to hide gifts in the house, but nobody had ever found it. When she asked about it, he'd even refused to tell her, saying that he'd cave under Ruby's powers in moments. She stopped asking after realizing just how right he was.

At around one, someone had turned on another movie, and one by one it had captured each of their attention, and everyone except for Maria ended up in a heap on the couch.

Blake was on Winter's left, Qrow to her right, with Yang on Qrows other side, while Ruby laid down on all of their legs and rested her head in Qrows lap, with him running his head through her hair.

The movie was soothing, and it made Winter realize exactly how tired she was. It had been a long day. No, a long couple of months for her. She'd gone through so much in such a short time, made some amazing friends, and a boyfriend while she was at it.

There would be more hurdles down the line, she was sure of that, but she was sure she could handle it. Winter, without thinking, put her arm on the back of the couch and started to play with Qrows hair as quietly as she could. Qrow looked at her and smiled, saying with their eyes what they couldn't with their lips.

Ruby let out a huge yawn and closed her eyes and was snoring in moments. Yang followed right after, leaning onto the side of the couch with her mouth hanging open. Winter felt something on her shoulder and turned to find Blake sleeping peacefully, using her as a pillow. Maria was already out cold, but not snoring yet thankfully. Zwei was on the ground, bone still in his mouth, snoozing away. Her fingers still moving in his hair, Winter looked over and saw that Qrow had his head tilted back, and was fast asleep himself.

She moved her arm down and took hold of his hand, leaning into his shoulder like Blake was doing to her, and let her heavy eyes rest. Before she fell asleep, she had a small realization, she was so lucky to be here.

She'd found friends, a family, a home, and people who cared for her. Not a lot of people got to say that, and she couldn't have been happier to be one of those few. Then, feeling lighter than she ever had in her life, Winter took a well deserved break and fell sound asleep, happy to finally have a place to call home.

\- 2 Years Later-

**-Authors Note-**

**Well, everyone, just the epilogue to go until the story of Winter and Qrow falling in love comes to an end. I'm sad, but so excited at the same time! What has everyone thought about the story so far? If you have second, please leave a comment and lmk, because every time I get a notification that someones posted a comment, liked, or followed, it makes my day! Thanks again to everyone who's made it this far and who keeps reading week in and week out, I really can't tell you guys what it means. Hope you guys enjoyed, see you next week!**


	58. Chapter 58

"We're gonna be late," smirked Winter with a chuckle, loving the way Qrow squirmed as he paced around the room, eyes peeled for his good shoes. Not that he wanted to wear them, but Winter insisted. "I told you to be ready by seven," Winter was laying down on his bed, an amused smile on her lips as she watched her doof of a boyfriend fumble around the room.

He was dressed in his black slacks and white dress shirt, but he'd added a blazer tonight, making him look extra spiffy. It had been Winter's idea, and so far she was glad for the change. Winter had put a bit more care into her appearance than Qrow had and was dressed in a dark blue dress that made her eyes pop, her hair in waves down her shoulders.

"We're not gonna be late. Besides, so what if we are? I don't think we're gonna miss much." he was checking the back of the closet now. "Are you sure you wanna go to this? I know it's your turn to pick, but still," Qrow questioned, trying his best to copy the puppy dog eyes Ruby had mastered years ago.

"I've been passing this place every day for over two years Qrow, and I need to see what's inside of it. Besides, do you know what I had to go through to get these tickets?" Winter asked, waving the thin paper slips in the air.

"Talk to Amy's niece and give her ten bucks? Win, I'll give you fifteen bucks if you let us go somewhere fun instead." he teased with a grin. "Have you seen my shoe by the way? I get the feeling Ruby might've taken it, but I have no idea why,"

"Yeah, but it still took a lot of effort! Plus, I told Amy we'd go and you know how she gets," The last thing Winter wanted was an Angry Amy busting down her door. "Besides, doesn't it sound fun? And check under the bed. I think Zwei moved them this time,"

"Fair enough. And you knew they were there the whole time I was looking, didn't you?" Winter winked at him and all he could do was smile as he reached under the bed and fished out the shoe. "There, ready to go. Unless you wanna take the deal? Maybe we could go to dinner, a movie, maybe even a concert? The Fire Starters are in town," needled Qrow, hope in his eyes.

Winter wanted to say yes, just like she did every time he'd brought them up lately, it had been far too long since she'd last seen them. Her firestarter shirt, also known as her favorite sleep shirt, was here after all… "As much as I want to, we can go see them next date night, ok?" Winter told him warmly as she got up and put her arms on his waist. "Or maybe we can listen to one of their albums once we get back, relax a little, cuddle, maybe do some other things?" Winter whispered to him mischievously, leaning in and planting a slow kiss on his lips.

This seemed to get his attention as she felt his hands on her hips. Winter tried to pull him closer to her, but he kept his back stiff and fought her. Not a lot, but just enough for her to know something was up. "Everything ok?" Winter asked caringly, pulling away from him.

Qrow's eyes flicked across the room before he forced them on her, "We don't wanna be late, do we?" He laughed awkwardly before taking a small step back from her and rubbing the back of his head.

"We could be a little late," Winter told him as she reached a hand out to grab his shirt and started to lean into him again, a playful grin on her lips. But before anything could happen, he'd taken another step away from her and towards the door.

"You're the one that was just complaining about being late. Come on, you can keep it in your pants for a little bit, can't you?" He teased as he walked down the stairs, leaving Winter standing there blushing.

Winter sighed to herself, annoyed that whatever sparks had been in the air a moment ago had been so thoroughly dashed in a matter of seconds. Or maybe she was just annoyed that he'd called her bluff like that.

Ruby was in the living room when Winter came down, laying upside down on the couch with her feet hanging over the top of it, eyes focused on whatever game she was playing.

Ruby had grown a couple of inches in the few short years Winter had known her. Not only was she taller, but her muscles were becoming lean and defined as she lost more and more of her baby weight. Her hair was still short and black, with those crimson tips she'd had for years, and her silver eyes were as entrancing as ever. Given a bit more time, Ruby would almost certainly develop into someone who'd catch anyone's eye.

"Hey, Ruby, kicking butt?" Winter chuckled as she watched a large gorilla shoot a cowboy with a gun.

"Ehh, not tonight. Where's date night this week?" Ruby asked casually as she flipped herself upright on the couch before she closed the game and turned to give Winter her full, smiling, attention.

"Bongo's Improv Club! Qrow's so excited he can't wait to leave, isn't that right, Qrow?" Winter called out to the kitchen, where Qrow was scrounging around for snacks.

"I was more excited about having bullets shot at me than I am about going to this," Qrow told them in a deadpan voice. Ruby was trying her best to keep her giggles in, but plenty slipped past her lips.

"Is that really the most romantic place for date night?" Ruby questioned, tilting her head. Ruby looked down at her hand for a moment before smiling.

"What about the Firestarters concert? That's where you two had your first kiss, right? I happen to have a pair of tickets right here if you guys want them," Ruby grinned as she clumsily reached into her back pocket, pulling out two crumpled tickets from her pocket.

"Oh, you're going out tonight? With who?" Winter questioned, trying her best to ignore Ruby's comment about the concert. She regretted telling the girls that story, but those damn puppy dog eyes of hers.

"What? No, why would I be going out?" Ruby asked, confused.

"Because why else would you have concert tickets?" Winter pointed out, raising an eyebrow at the girl. Ruby looked down nervously at her hand again, before smiling back at Winter.

"Oh! Right! I bought them for you! As a surprise!" Ruby chuckled forcefully, holding out the tickets for Winter. Winter slowly reached out to take the tickets, but in the same move, she grabbed Ruby's hands and tried to turn her palms to the sky.

Winter only managed to make out, _Ruby: What about the firestarters concert?_ written in blue ink before Ruby ripped her hands away and started to lick her hand. "Ew! Ruby, that's gross! What was on your hand?" Winter demanded in a huff, trying to grab Rubys wiggling hands one more time to see what they said and only finding a blue blob of ink.

"A reminder Yang told me about, don't worry about it!" Ruby told her in a panicked rush as she tried to push herself further and further away from Winter until she fell off the couch with a hard thud. "Owww! Uncle Qrow! Winter's bullying me again," Ruby cried, as Winter watched the girl squirm on the floor like a fish out of water.

"And what did I say to do whenever this happens?" Qrow said through half a mouth full of apple as he walked into the living room, looking unconcerned with his niece.

"Tickle her?"

"Wait, what? Ruby, wait, don't-" Winter looked away from Ruby for a moment, and that was all the time the girl needed. She sprang up and in moments her fingers were assaulting Winter's sides worse than Weiss ever had back home. She started to laugh and roll around on the couch, trying to push Ruby away with tears of laughter in her eyes, "Ruby- please, no!" She howled, trying to crawl away from her unrelenting attacker.

Qrow stood there eating his apple with an evil grin on his face as he watched the love of his life get tickled to tears. Winter reached out a hand to him, and he winked at her. "Alright Ruby, she's had enough," Ruby kept going for another few seconds, giggling in victory as she pulled her fingers away right away.

Winter laid on the couch, huffing like she'd just climbed the stairs to Amy's apartment. "I told you that in confidence," She breathed, sitting up and looking at Qrow with pure malice. She might not be the best at puppy dog eyes, yet, but she could copy Maria's death gaze like it was nothing.

"And that was your first mistake," He grinned, and she crossed her arms. Ok, maybe she wasn't an expert at that one either. "Are you two done yet? Because otherwise, I'm gonna have to get Yang to break you guys up," snickered Qrow as he walked over and grabbed Winter by her waist and stood her up like she was some sort of doll. She would've complained, but it kind of felt nice, not that she'd ever admit it.

"Wait, but what about those Firewalkers tickets? If you wanted to go see them that badly you could've told me. Especially since you already bought the tickets! You didn't have to try and get Ruby to convince me. Also, Ruby. You're amazing and I love you, but your acting needs… Work," Winter hesitated with what to say because she was trying to find the nicest way possible to tell Ruby her acting was a wee bit south of good.

"I told him my acting was on par with a goldfish, but he insisted," chuckled Ruby as she leaned back onto the couch and started to twiddle the tickets in her hands. "Are you guys going to the concert though? I think it'll be fuuun" Ruby looked like she was trying to hold back her smile as her eyes fluttered from Qrow to Winter quickly.

Qrow scratched his head and looked to Winter, who smiled at him. "We already have the tickets, no use in letting them go to waste, right?" Winter was excited about the concert, but she had to admit she was bummed out about missing out on the comedy club yet again. But there's always next time.

Surprisingly, Qrow shook his head before walking over to her and putting his hand on her waist. "We'll see them next again sooner or later, so it doesn't matter. Besides, you wanna go to that improv place, so that's where we're going," He hummed, planting a kiss on her lips.

"Gross! Not in public! Or private!" cringed Ruby, turning away from them and covering her eyes from the terrible sight.

Qrow pulled away and scowled at her, "It's my house and I'll kiss whoever I want to," Leaning in and kissing Winter on the lips one more time, his hand moving up her back, bringing goosebumps along with it. When he pulled away Winter was blushing and grinning like an idiot.

"What're the odds Yang wants them?" Qrow wondered, turning to Ruby who was gagging and covering her eyes with her hands.

"Don't know, let me check. Yang! Concert tickets!" Ruby yelled towards the ground at the top of her lungs.

Yang had moved into the basement a few months ago, she said it was because that was the easiest place to keep all of her workout gear, but everyone knew it was really for more… privacy.

There was a shuffle in the basement and the sound of people talking. Two seconds later Yang came thundering up the stairs and walked into the living room. Her face was beet red, she was breathing a little heavily, and her hair an absolute mess. Oh, she was also in the middle of pulling down her shirt.

Yang had grown a lot the past few years too. She'd had a growth spurt, and with her intense workout regime shaping her body, she was already well on her way to becoming a total lady killer. Actually, she already was.

"I didn't know Blake was over," Winter teased the poor girl, who could only smile awkwardly and try to hide her ever growing embarrassment.

"Yeah, I thought you guys had already left already," she forced a laugh as she tried to comb her hair with her fingers.

"Yang, you want concert tickets? Qrow's plan bombed," Ruby held out the tickets for her sister, who snatched them out of her fingers so quickly nobody even saw her move.

"Heck yeah, I do! Blake! We're going out!" Yang called down to her room, where Blake was no doubt trying to hide her shame under the blankets.

"Are you sure? We don't have to go to the comedy club," Winter told him earnestly as she grabbed his hand lovingly.

He shook his head again and smiled at her in a magical sort of way. He gazed into her eyes and saw into her soul, and he loved everything he saw, good and bad. It was the kind of smile that you could only find on someone who was looking at the love of their lives.

"It's all about you tonight, ok?" He told her, making her skin tingle and her heart skip a beat.

"I guess that doesn't sound that bad," She told him, almost in a daze.

"Have fun you two, thanks for the tickets, Uncle Qrow, have fun at the nerd thing!" Yang laughed as she tried to rush back downstairs.

"Wait! Before you go out, you're doing what I asked you to, right?" Qrow was looking at her seriously. Yang looked between Qrow and Winter grinning.

"Wouldn't dream of anything else," She said before taking off downstairs.

"That goes for you too, Ruby. If you go see that little girlfriend of yours tonight, you better get everything done first," He urged, turning to look at Ruby who was blushing even worse than Yang was.

"We aren't like that," She told him quietly, looking away and wrapping her arms around her knees. "But it's all planned out and ready to go!" Ruby gave him a thumbs up, her embarrassment forgotten. Qrow looked relieved and thankful as he let out a long breath.

"Thanks. I owe you guys. Come on, Win, let's get going. Don't burn the house down while we're gone!" Qrow smirked at Ruby who stuck her tongue out at him.

"It was one time!" protested Ruby, throwing her hands out to make her point.

"And let's keep it that way," He laughed before he and Winter turned and finally left the house, hand in hand.

The show, surprisingly enough, actually ended up being a lot of fun. They'd gotten there a few minutes late thanks to Qrow, but still got good seats pretty close to the middle of the room, perfect viewing for the stage.

Exactly as Qrow imagined, the troupe was mostly made of recent college graduates and a few people that were a bit older that liked improv as a hobby. Unlike what Qrow imagined, they were actually good.

They did skits where the audience would choose something random and a member had to guess what it was from the other members talking in gibberish, random scenes involving the moon and someone trying to buy it, and Qrow even got pulled onstage to move one of the members around like a robot to fight another member. Qrow lost, but it was a close fight. It was cute seeing how embarrassed he got on stage though, a fun change of pace from the guy who's usually cooler than ice in any situation.

They ate good food, talked to some nice people, and had a great night. The only odd part of the night was when they were leaving and Winter tried to grab Qrow's coat from his seat. He'd jumped at her and snatched it out of her hands before she could even grab it, babbling about ripping it or something like that. He really was acting weird tonight.

"I can't believe Ruby's got a little girlfriend. She's come so far, don't you think?" Winter asked on the drive home, her hand flying outside the window as she enjoyed the warm spring air. She smiled as she breathed in, smelling freshly cut grass and dandelions.

Winter waited for a response but nothing ever came. She turned and saw that Qrow was tapping his fingers on Harbingers wheel, staring straight ahead unblinkingly. "Did you hear me? Qrow?" No response. "Qrow, I'm pregnant," Winter smirked, waiting for him to freak out from her obvious lie, but nothing ever came.

"Qrow!" She yelled after another minute of silence, breaking him out of his trance so he looked around wildly.

"Yeah, what's up?" He said quickly, breaking deeply and looking at her like he'd said something wrong.

"I was talking about Ruby and her girlfriend, did you even hear me?" Winter wondered, her voice drenched in concern.

"Oh, yeah, course I heard you," hesitated Qrow like he was still lost in thought. "What about them?" He questioned, scratching the back of his head awkwardly, chest still rising and falling quickly.

"Forget about that, is everything ok with you? You've been acting odd all day," Winter questioned gently yet firmly.

"Win, I'm fine." He said curtly and swiftly, looking outside of the car awkwardly. It wasn't often that Qrow shut her out like this, and it hurt a little. Winter wanted to keep digging, but she knew him well enough that she was sure he'd tell her as soon as he could. And if he didn't then, she'd bug him later until he told her.

Still, she couldn't help but worry. First Weiss not answering her calls and now this, it made her anxious. But Qrow could see the worry in her eyes, and with a comfortable smile, he reached over and took her hand in his calloused one. It was enough to put all of her worries to bed, and she could feel that everything was gonna be fine.

They pulled up into the driveway and parked, but Qrow sat there with his hands gripping the wheel tightly like he was afraid to go inside. He glanced over at Winter and smiled, shutting off the car and getting out without a word.

Qrow got to the door first and held it open for her, "Why, what a gentleman. You really are excited to listen to that album, aren't you?" Winter teased, surprised when Qrow didn't fire back with any of his usual barbs.

"I guess," He chuckled softly, and it sounded a bit forced. Winter frowned. Qrow might have been stressed, and he might not have been able to tell her what was wrong, but she could still help him.

Instead of going through the door she walked over and kissed him. It was a long, slow, intimate kiss that both of them seemed to need. Their hands wandered, they pushed their bodies together, and their very souls seemed to dance together at that moment. When they finally separated, breathless and gasping, they looked into each others eyes, and they could see how much love they shared between them.

"Better?" She wondered, her fingers gliding over his chest. Her eyes widened as she felt something hard in his jacket pocket. She wondered what it was, but didn't pay it any mind and didn't bother to ask about it.

"If you're gonna kiss me like that, maybe I should worry you more often" He laughed, kissing the top of her head.

"Worry me any more than this and it'll be the last thing you do," She half-joked as she reached up and gave him a quick peck on the check. "Come on, we only have the house to ourselves for a few more hours and I could listen to that album a few times by now," She teased before pulling away from him and stepping into the house with a grin. She only made it a single step inside before she stopped dead in her tracks.

The entire house was decorated in soft white lights that hung from the walls, casting everything in a beautiful glow that looked like something out of a fairytale. There were white rose petals sprinkled everywhere in the kitchen looking like a fresh snowfall, and there was a trail that led to the rest of the house. She noticed candles lit on the counter and when she took a breath she realized that the entire house smelled like the woods of Atlas.

She stood there, gaping at it all until Qrow walked in and wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his head on her shoulder. "Do you like it?" Winter wanted to say something, but her throat was too tight, and she could only nod. "Good. The girls set it up before they left,"

He took her hand and silently walked her through the kitchen and to the living room, where even more rose petals scattered about, and they both took a seat on the couch facing each other. Winter was too stunned to speak.

Qrow looked around the room, white light making him look almost angelic until his eyes landed on her. He coughed into his hand, looking awkward. "I know I'm not the best at this romance stuff, but I'm trying here" He breathed, looking at a loss for words.

"This is amazing," Winter finally said, tears at the edges of her eyes. If Qrow didn't already have a show in his mouth, he sure did now.

"G-good," he stuttered, eyes flicking away from her yet again. "Listen, I-" But then the illusion broke, if only slightly, as Winter's phone started to ring. It wasn't the normal ring, it was Weiss' ringtone.

"I-I'm so sorry, It's my sister," Winter apologized, standing up and taking the phone out of her purse with shaking hands.

"Go ahead, take it," Qrow told her, knowing how important it was. Winter leaned in and gave him a quick kiss before walking off into the kitchen to answer the call. "Hello? Klein? What's up?" Then she walked outside.

Qrow stood up and paced around the room, letting out a huge breath he hadn't known he'd been holding in until right then. His face was hot, and he was glad the lights were keeping his ragged appearance mostly a secret.

Qrow reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the small black box and opened it for the millionth time. The ring was perfect, a simple silver band with a small diamond set in the center, and on the inside of the ring, right on the other side of the diamond, a small snowflake had been engraved.

He closed the box and held onto it like a vice in his hand, moving it out of sight for whenever Winter came back. It had taken a lot of courage, work, and planning, most of which had gone out the window when she said she'd rather go to an improv show instead of a concert, but that didn't matter. Because they were finally here. It was finally time.

He thought about getting on his knee right then and waiting for her to come back in and see, but he had some things he wanted to say to her first. How amazing she was to him, how she wasn't like anyone else he'd ever met, how she made him feel lighter whenever she even looked at him… That was just the tip of the iceberg.

He waited, and waited, and after a while, he started to get worried. Qrow stood up and put the ring back in his pocket before he carefully walked after her, not wanting to interrupt anything.

He opened the door outside and saw something he wasn't ready for. Winter was on her knees on the grass and bawling into her hands, her whole body shivering. Her phone was on the cement nearby, smashed into a million pieces like she'd thrown it.

"Winter, what happened?" Qrow asked her, rushing out of the house towards her. He was about to touch her shoulders when she leaned away from him, groaning in agony.

"Don't touch me, please," She cried, her lips trembling so hard she could hardly get the words out. She had trails of tears leading down her face and snot bubbling out of her nose as she tried to get to her feet before she fell onto the grass in a heap. She cried out and punched the grass, tearing at it and ripping it out as she screamed.

"Winter, what the hell's going on? What happened?" He asked her, keeping his distance but wanting nothing more than to hold her. Winter shook her head and gasped as another round of tears rushed down her cheeks.

"I messed up, Qrow" she wailed, forcing herself to sit up straight.

"Win, whatever you're talking about, I'm sure it's not as bad as you think. Why don't we go inside and talk about this?" He smiled, trying his best to calm her down, even though on the inside his mind felt like it was unraveling. Winter shook her head aggressively, forcing her eyes shut and biting her lip so hard Qrow saw it drew blood.

"You don't get it, Weiss is in trouble and I've gotta go and do… God, I don't know what, but I can't stay here while she's all by herself!" Winter cried, gritting her teeth and forcing herself to stand on her shaky legs, looking like a newborn deer.

Qrow looked and saw her panicked, wide eyes moving around without sticking to anything. She was clenching her fists so hard her knuckles were white. He was searching her eyes for any sign of the calm and collected Winter he loved so much, but all that was there was terror and fear.

"Alright, if you need to go then get in the car, I'll call Maria and-"

"No! She doesn't need you, Qrow, she needs me! Please, just leave me alone so I can think for a minute!" She turned away from him, roughly grabbing the sides of her head.

"Winter, I can't leave you alone like this. Come on, look at me," He whispered, walking closer to her, the sound of crickets filling the air of the night. Qrow took a tentative step closer, reading out and touching her trembling shoulder.

Winter was trembling as a new wave of sobs rocked her. Qrow was terrified that she might fall to the ground again, but she held her ground through it all. She took a deep breath and lowered her hands to her sides, looking at him with bloodshot eyes, sniffling.

"You aren't gonna leave me, are you?" She breathed so softly he hardly caught it. She stood there shaking like a leaf in the wind and he smiled at her confidently, pulling her into a warm hug. Winter nuzzled into his neck, and she could feel her tears stain into his shirt.

"Win, I'd rather die than leave you. No matter what you did, I'm never gonna leave you," He told her without any doubt, trying to keep his voice lever while his mind panicked trying to figure out what to do next.

Winter wrapped her arms around him and grabbed at him so hard that her nails started to dig into his sides. Qrow kissed the top of her head and rubbed his hand up and down her back, whispering sweet words to her that she couldn't hear over her bitter sobs.

Slowly, she released her grip on him, but Qrow kept his arms tight around her shoulders until she pulled away from him, wiping her tears away. "I know you won't… That's why I gotta go," Winter sniffled as she took a step away from him, wrapping her arms around herself, her eyes sparkling with fresh tears. At that moment, Qrow could've sworn that his heart had stopped.

"Win, what're you talking about?" Qrow questioned, a forced chuckled escaping his lips that felt unnatural and wrong to him. Winter looked at him with trembling lips, her mouth opening and closing slowly with nothing coming out. She took a handful of deep breaths and calmed down the tremors running through her body before she talked again.

"I'm breaking up with you, Qrow. I'm so, so sorry that it has to end like this, right before… But that doesn't matter right now. I love you, but it's over. Don't worry about the girls, nothing's gonna change with their meetings with James, I'll make sure of it," She explained, but Qrow wasn't listening anymore. His brain felt like it was short-circuiting, and he was stuck replaying her last words over and over in his mind.

"Winter, you can't be serious," He begged, and everything suddenly felt very far away. He took a step closer to her, reaching out like a dying man does to a ship on the horizon. Instead of coming to help him, she took another step back away, shattering him.

"I'm serious," Winter told him with heartbroken determination, looking to the ground so she didn't have to watch the tears falling down his cheek.

"Winter, please…" He whispered, but Winter was already taking another step away from him, shaking her head and crying even harder than before.

"I'm sorry," She hardly managed to get the words out as her back shook again.

Qrow couldn't speak anymore, he couldn't even try to open his mouth anymore. All he could do is look at her, trying to tell her with his eyes everything she meant to him, how much he needed her. Not only did she take another step away, she turned her back on him.

"I'm sorry," She whispered a final time before running off into the night, leaving him standing on the lawn by himself.

He stood there, waiting and hoping that maybe he'd see the silhouette walking towards him, but he never did. He hoped that maybe she'd drive by and he might be able to get one last glimpse of her before she was gone, but she never did. He waited and waited for something, for god damned anything, but nothing ever came.

He didn't know how long he stood there, alone in the night, but eventually he felt his knees wobble and he found himself on the ground, his hands in his lap as he looked at the ground, tears falling onto the grass.

There were so many questions floating around in his head, so much anger and bitterness in his heart. But the one that hurt the most was the feeling of betrayal stung every nerve in his body. All the love he felt for her, all the love she felt for him, she threw it away. No matter what had happened, he knew that they could've handled it together. What stung was the fact that in the end, Winter hadn't felt the same way. She'd left him.

**-Authors Note-**

**I know that this probably isn't the ending a lot of you guys were wanting, but I want you to know that this story doesn't end here. I know exactly how it will end, and this isn't it.**

**If anyone wants to see what happens next don't worry, next week I'm gonna be starting a new story on here, same time as always. I don't like asking people to do this, but if you wanna be sure you see what happens next either follow me as an author or be on the lookout next week for my new story, **

**Whiterose: Troubled Hearts **

**But anyway, I hope you guys have enjoyed the story up to this point and I hope you guys aren't too mad. It's been an absolute pleasure to write this week in and week out for everyone, and it's definitely made my life better. I hope I've given at least a few people out there even half of the experience I've gotten out of this. I love this story, and trust me when I say I'm trying my absolute best to do it justice. Thanks to everyone that's kept up this week to week and making me a part of your routine, it's been an honor and I hope some of you keep reading.**

**Specifically, I'd like to thank daring-moon for being the first non-guest to comment on this story and getting me to continue it. Also, thanks to timrocks99, Combine117, and every single other people who left a comment, liked, favorited, followed, and everything else! It's been amazing every time I see one of those notifications!**

**Sorry for rambling for so long, but this is sort of a big deal to me and I have a lot to say to everyone here. Mostly, just thanks. Well, that's all I really have to say. Please tell me whatever you guys are thinking, and I hope you guys enjoyed and I hope you guys come back next week to keep enjoying!**


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